TN Musician Vol. 69 No. 1 (proof 4)

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Music Education Association
Meet the New
TMEA State Chairs
p. 25
Going Social
by Andy Stewart
& Robert Ward
p. 14
What to Know
Before You Post
by Karen Cross
p. 20
VOLUME 69, NO. 1

MUSIC

TENNESSEE MUSICIAN EDITORIAL STAFF
Michael W. Chester
Managing Editor and Advertising Manager
Justin T. Scott
Associate Editor
Laura Boucher
Associate Style Editor
Jazmin Jordan
Social Media Director
Allison Segel
Pre-Production Editor
Contributing Editors
Matthew Clark
Susan Mullen
Doug Phillips
Carol King-Chipman
Jerome Souther
TABLE OF CONTENTS | 2016 | VOLUME 69, No. 1
Prelude – A Message from the Editor 6
Michael Chester
TMEA Executive Director’s Message 8
Ron Meers
TMEA President’s Message 10
Johnathan Vest, Ed. D.
TMEA - By the Numbers/Verbatim 12
Mathew Clark
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All editorial materials should be sent to: Michael Chester, Managing
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Submit materials by e-mail in Microsoft Word format.
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directed to: Michael Chester, Managing Editor (615-
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information is on the TMEA web site, www.tnmea.org.
Deadlines for advertisement orders and editorial materials:
Issue No. 1 – Deadline: August 15 (in home delivery
date October 15); Issue No. 2 – Deadline: October 15 (in
home delivery date December 15); Issue No. 3 – Deadline:
December 15 (in home delivery date March 15);
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FEATURED ARTICLES
Going Social 14
Andy Stewart and Robert Ward
What to Know Before you Post 20
Karen Cross
COLUMNS
TMEA State General Music Chair’s Message 25
Linzie Mullins
TMEA State Choral Chair’s Message 26
W. Fitzgerald Patton
TMEA State Orchestra Chair’s Message 28
Michelle Clupper
TMEA State Band Chair’s Message 31
David Chipman
TMEA State Higher Education Chair’s Message 32
Ryan Fisher, Ph. D.
TMEA State Collegiate NAfME Chair’s Message 34
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall, Ed. D.
TMEA State Educational Technology
Chair’s Message 37
Lisa Leopold
STME/TMEA Research Chair’s Message 38
Jamilla McWhirter, Ph. D.
Tennessee Musician Advertiser Index 39
TMEA Back Then 40

TMEA BOARD AND COUNCIL
TMEA OFFICERS 2016-2017
TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Ron Meers
execdirector@tnmea.org
TMEA PRESIDENT:
Johnathan Vest, Ed. D.
president@tnmea.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TMEA STATE GENERAL MUSIC CHAIR:
Linzie Mullins
genmusicchair@tnmea.org
TMEA STATE CHORAL CHAIR:
Gerald Patton
pattong@rcschools.net
TMEA STATE ORCHESTRA CHAIR:
Michelle Clupper
michelle.clupper@knoxschools.org
TMEA STATE BAND CHAIR:
David Chipman
banddir@bellsouth.net
TMEA STATE HIGHER EDUCATION CHAIR:
Ryan Fisher, Ph. D.
rfisher3@memphis.edu
TMEA COUNCIL
WTGMEA PRESIDENT:
Linzie Mullins
genmusicchair@tnmea.org
WTGMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Information not received
WTVMEA PRESIDENT:
Lalania Vaughn
lvaughn@rebelmail.net
WTVMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Christopher Davis
davischristophert@gmail.com
WTSBOA PRESIDENT:
Stephen Price
prices@gcssd.org
WTSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Ollie Liddell
ollie_liddell@hotmail.com
MTGMEA PRESIDENT:
Alexis Yatuzis-Derryberry
derryberrya@rcschools.net
MTGMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Information not recived
MTVA PRESIDENT:
Michael Choate
choatem@pcsstn.com
TMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Lafe Cook
pres-elect@tnmea.org
2 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1
TMEA PAST-PRESIDENT:
Jeff Phillips, Ed. D.
jeffrey.phillips@sumnerschools.org
TMEA STATE COLLEGIATE NAFME CHAIR:
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall, Ed. D.
jennifer.vannatta-hall@mtsu.edu
TMEA STATE EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY CHAIR:
Lisa Leopold
lwleopold@gmail.com
TMEA PUBLICATIONS EDITOR AND
ADVERTISING MANAGER:
Michael Chester
editor@tnmea.org
TMEA PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Justin Scott
justin.scott@tcsedu.net
MTSBOA PRESIDENT:
David Aydelott
president@mtsboa.org
MTSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Debbie Burton
dlburton98@gmail.com
ETGMEA PRESIDENT:
Margaret Moore
mamcmoore57@aol.com
ETGMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT
Marcus Smith
marcus.smith@knoxschools.org
ETVA PRESIDENT:
Kenton Deitch
kenton.deitch@knoxschools.org
ETVA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Stephanie Coker
scoker@acs.ac
ETSBOA PRESIDENT:
Gary Wilkes
gwilkes428@gmail.com
ETSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Alan Hunt
ahunt@bradleyschools.org
CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT TEAM
TMEA CONFERENCE CO-CHAIR:
Brad Turner
brad.turner@acsk-12.org
TMEA CO-CONFERENCE CHAIR:
Paul Waters
paulwaters.tmea@gmail.com
TMEA CONFERENCE EXHIBITS CHAIR:
Jo Ann Hood
jhood10105@aol.com
ALL-STATE MANAGEMENT TEAM
TN ALL-STATE CHORAL GENERAL CHAIR:
Amanda Ragan
aragan@ortn.edu
ENSEMBLE CHAIRS
TREBLE HONOR CHOIR CHAIR:
Tiffany Barton
tntreblechoir@gmail.com
TN ALL-STATE SATB ENSEMBLE CHAIR:
Kim McLemore
kimberly.mclemore@mnps.org
TN ALL-STATE SSAA CHORALE ENSEMBLE CHAIR:
Amanda Short
amandalovellshort@gmail.com
TN ALL-STATE TTBB CHORUS ENSEMBLE CHAIR:
Johnny Kimbrough
johnny.kimbrough@jcseagles.org
TN ALL-STATE 9TH - 10TH GRADE STRING
ORCHESTRA CHAIR:
Gary Wilkes
gwilkes428@gmail.com
PROJECT CHAIRS
TMEA MEMBERSHIP CHAIR:
Position unfulfilled at this time
TMEA GUITAR EDUCATION CHAIR:
Chip Henderson
paul.henderson@mtsu.edu
TMEA JAZZ EDUCATION POLICY CHAIR:
Richard Ripani
richard.ripani@mnps.org
TMEA ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS CHAIR:
Chris Dye, Ed. D.
christopher.dye@mtsu.edu
TMEA SOCIETY FOR MUSIC TEACHER
EDUCATION CHAIR:
Jamila L. McWhirter, Ph. D.
jamila.mcwhirter@mtsu.edu
TMEA MUSIC MERCHANTS
INDUSTRY CHAIR:
Rick DeJonge
rick.dejonge@khsmusic.com
TMEA CONFERENCE REGISTRATION CHAIR:
Mark Garey
mgarey86@comcast.net
TMEA CONFERENCE PERFORMANCE
GROUP CHAIR:
John Mears
mearsj@rcschools.net
TMEA CONFERENCE EXHIBITS CHAIR:
Jo Ann Hood
jhood10105@aol.com
TN ALL-STATE INSTRUMENTAL
GENERAL CHAIR:
Martin McFarlane
martin.mcfarlane@tcsedu.net
TN ALL-STATE 11TH - 12TH GRADE SYMPHONIC
ORCHESTRA CHAIR:
Jessica Peck
peck_j@hcde.org
TN ALL-STATE 9TH - 10TH GRADE CONCERT
BAND CHAIR:
J.R. Baker
john.baker@rcstn.net
TN ALL-STATE 11TH - 12TH GRADE CONCERT
BAND CHAIR:
Carter Noblin
noblinc@wcschools.com
TN ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND CHAIR:
Cord Martin
corderyl.martin@gmail.com
TMEA WEBMASTER:
Lisa Leopold
lwleopold@gmail.com
TMEA TRI-M CHAIR:
Todd Shipley
todd.shipley@mnps.org
TMEA MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS
MONTH CHAIR:
Tiffany Barton
tntreblechoir@gmail.com
TMEA HISTORY AND ARCHIVES CHAIR:
Position unfulfilled at this time
TMEA RETIRED TEACHERS CHAIR:
Bobby Jean Frost
bjfrost@aol.com

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4 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

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AUDITION DATES
Saturday, February 4, 2017
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PRELUDE - A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Michael Chester
WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE’VE
ALREADY BEEN TO FIGURE OUT
WHERE WE ARE NOW . . . AND
WHERE WE WANT TO GO NEXT.
6 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1
was founded in 1945 with a mission “to promote
and activate a useful and broad program
of music education in the schools.” At that
THE TENNESSEE MUSIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
time the newly formed TMEA worked closely
with the Tennessee Department of Education,
college/university music education departments,
and city music supervisors to essentially help lead and
support the advancement of music education at all levels
across Tennessee. Reading about the early years of
the Tennessee Music Education Association, it would
seem that there was a healthy level of collaboration between
leaders, in various levels and agencies, who were
vested in the advancement of music education. I would
encourage many of you to visit the TMEA website and
read past-president T. Earl Hinton’s A Brief History of
the Tennessee Music Education Association. As I am
sure we have all heard before: we have to know where
we’ve already been to figure out where we are now . . .
and where we want to go next.
For many music teachers in Tennessee, the perceptual
norm always seems to center on the notion
that TMEA is merely the agency that organizes the
annual conference and all-state ensemble events and
that it is somehow obligatorily affiliated with NAfME.
While many who have served TMEA in any voluntary
capacity would probably argue that the organization

is much more than event management, perhaps we should take
a look at the bigger picture for a moment and not be so quick to
dismiss this perception.
The landscape of teaching in America has seen lots of changes
since TMEA was founded. Veteran teachers would no doubt say
that many initiatives in education are cyclical. The new wave of
current educational reform is based on the same principles of the
reforms of past decades, only packaged with new buzz words, fancy
marketing, and promotional materials that look good on coffee
tables in the offices of administrators and politicians. While much
of that is grounded in truth, the fact remains that what teachers are
being asked to do today is drastically different then it was in 1945.
Music teachers, in particular, are asked to do more with far less resources
and far less instructional time than that of their predecessors.
Today’s teachers simply do not have enough time to manage all
of the expectations placed upon them. Let us consider the fact the
needs of students have changed and the shifting family dynamic has
placed more responsibility on teachers to act as surrogate parents.
Still, the demands placed upon music teachers, if they really want to
do the job the right way, is more than 40 hours a week. If our current
generation of music teachers were working in the corporate world,
those that excel would be given financial incentives, and the resources
to do their job. In terms of a career, it is a difficult argument
to make that those who major in any field of education will truly see
a return on their investment. We all know that the profession of education
is a calling. However, are we really that surprised that more
teachers leave the profession after three years?
So if this is the current landscape for music teachers in America,
and in particular Tennessee, is it any wonder that it’s hard to
attract volunteers to serve in the regional organizations and in
TMEA? Who really has the time? If the landscape has so drastically
changed, as we have seen, then perhaps it is time to truly change
what TMEA is and does. I believe that the strength of our organization,
which has for so long rested on the bedrock of great leadership
and forward thinking, is about the people it serves. I imagine that
within the next decade, we could see a drastically different TMEA.
Let’s dream big for a moment. In this version of a future TMEA, we
could have a state level organization, with fully paid staff and dedicated
office space. We could have lobbyists who work on behalf of
the interests of music teachers. We could have a state level organization
that could supplant the burdens faced by regional organizations.
We could have an organization that understands the needs of
Tennessee music educators in the volatile wake that is education
reform. We could have a state level organization who seeks to identify,
encourage, and support diversity among emerging leaders. We
could have an organization who has close ties with the Tennessee
Department of Education.
In this version of TMEA, those who place students first are
served by an organization who places music teachers first. We are
very fortunate that the current TMEA executive board and new
TMEA state chairs are already hard at work setting the foundation
for many of the ideas mentioned. Our leadership is working for positive,
transformative change that will strengthen TMEA for future
decades to come.
I would encourage each of you to read The Advantage by New York
Times bestselling author Patrick Lencioni. In this book, Lencioni
examines some of the nations’ leading organizations and argues
that the key competitive advantage in today’s digital age within
any organization rests on its organizational health and well-being.
When an organization’s culture is whole, its operations and
mission are clear and consistent and it creates an environment
with an advantage unlike no other. Since the time of its founding,
TMEA has relied heavily on the volunteerism of its members. For
a time, that was certainly a sustainable model for the organization.
Times however, have changed. Music teachers are more transient.
We have more members than ever before, and the need to support
music teachers (from those in their pre-service years to those who
are about to retire) beyond professional development conferences,
has never been greater than it is now. If TMEA was able to leverage
its own financial resources, perhaps the organization would have
less need to rely on a volunteer staff, and instead it would be able
to hire staff to take care of the needs of the organization, thus allowing
volunteers to focus their energies on their primary job and
responsibilities – the students and community that they serve. I do
want to point out that I am not calling for an end to the numerous
volunteers that serve TMEA in various capacities. What I am saying
is that for those who have served or who are currently serving,
it removes a huge burden. Every volunteer wants to see TMEA become
the model state music education association but not at the
expense of their time served in the classroom. TMEA is no longer a
“ma and pa” organization and in order to truly serve the needs of the
membership beyond the professional development conference, the
organization must change. In order to make that change happen, it
must have support from its members who can truly see the vision
and the bigger picture.
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL
BAND, CHOIR, AND ORCHESTRA
2017:
April 21-22
April 28-29
May 5-6
Michael Chester
Managing Editor
2018:
April 20-21
April 27-28
May 4-5
www.SMMFestival.com
or call:1-855-766-3008
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 7

TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Ron Meers
I H O P E A L L O F Y O U A R E H AV I N G A
GREAT SCHOOL YEAR! Thank you all for
your continued support of TMEA and music
education in Tennessee!
I would like to once again express my
sincere appreciation to the volunteers who
are so valuable to TMEA and music education
in Tennessee. Without volunteers we
would not be able to offer assessment and
performance opportunities for Tennessee
music programs. Thank you for your
dedicated service!
Speaking of volunteers, TMEA is in
need of a tech savvy person to populate
the information on the mobile application,
EventMobi, used by conference attendees
and All State students. It is a fairly simple
process but is very important resource
for our conference. For more information
please contact me ASAP!
TMEA IS WORKING ON A PLAN
TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
CONCERNING PROPOSED
LEGISLATION THAT COULD
AFFECT MUSIC EDUCATION IN
TENNESSEE TO YOUR PARENT
SUPPORT GROUPS.
To say the least, changing venues for
our In-Service/All State Conference three
times in five years has been challenging. I
believe you will see many changes that will
improve your conference experience in
2017. TMEA is currently in the final stages
of contractual negotiations with Opryland
that should provide our all-state ensembles
with an improved concert venue;
however, to secure the larger area TMEA
will be required to increase our housing
block at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Unlike
Chattanooga and Memphis, Opryland
ties the convention space to the number of
rooms booked at the hotel by the association.
Those of you who chose to room offsite
last year, we need you to help pay for
the space used by the conference by booking
your rooms at Opryland in 2017. If we
do not fill our housing block this year, we
will have to pay a penalty to the hotel based
on the number of rooms we did not fill.
There is an additional issue that we
need to address concerning housing. I will
try to explain this, but if you need more
information, please contact me. All hotels
have a cut-off date for booking housing.
The TMEA Cut-Off date is March 21st. After
the 21st, no rooms can be booked into
the TMEA block of rooms. The problem
is, if a member cancels a room after
the 21st, the room cannot be filled by another
member AND is counted as a room
NOT FILLED according to our contract.
In 2016, we had over 600 rooms booked
for Wed. night of conference. Around forty
members canceled their rooms after
March 21st, which means we did not fill
our contractual obligation for rooms filled
on Wed. night. Luckily, Thursday night we
were able to go over our minimum number
of rooms and the average was enough to
keep us from being penalized (the financial
penalty is substantial). Everything
TMEA does is a team effort. Please help by
booking your housing at Gaylord Opryland
in 2017 and not cancelling any rooms at
Opryland after March 21st. Thank you!
As you know, the passage of ESSA legislation
will impact music education across
the country. TMEA is working on a plan to
provide information concerning proposed
legislation that could affect music education
in Tennessee to your parent support
groups. Please take a moment and register
your parent support group now.
The registration link is under Advocacy on
the WWW.TNMEA.org website: http://
www.tnmea.org/booster-registration.html
Thanks again to all of you who “go the
extra mile” to provide all students with
musically enriching activities by volunteering
to chair events or to be candidates
for association offices. Without you, music
education would be at risk and could not
provide so many educational experiences
to so many students in Tennessee! Thank
you! I ask you to please look for and encourage
other talented teachers to volunteer
and be involved. Our music students
deserve our best!
I hope you all have a very successful
school year and enjoy working with the
BEST students in your school! Please do
not hesitate to call on me if I may be of any
assistance to you or your music program!
PLEASE REMEMBER
The TMEA Discount Meal Cards will
be available on the TMEA website
this year
• Beginning Feb. 1st. Please support
this effort. The sale of Meal cards
counts toward our
• $50,000 food and beverage
contract agreement with Opryland
Gaylord Opryland Reservations will
open on February 1st on the TMEA
Website
Gaylord Opryland Reservation Cutoff
date, March 21st, 2017.
(Please make your reservations before March
21st and cancel any rooms not needed BEFORE
March 21st.
Plan to attend the TMEA Professional
Development Conference, April
5th – 8th, 2017, Opryland Hotel and
Convention Center
8 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
2016-17 NEW FACULTY
Mélisse Brunet
Director of Orchestral Activities
Yo-Jung Han
Music Education
Gennard Lombardozzi
Tenor, Director of Opera
*Saturday, December 3, 2016
(Instrumental Areas)
AUDITION DATES:
Saturday, February 11, 2017
(Instrumental Areas)
*Saturday, January 21, 2017
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas)
*Saturday, January 28, 2017
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas)
Saturday, March 4, 2017
(Instrumental and Vocal Areas;
for admission only, no scholarship
consideration)
*To be eligible for the Hayes Young Artist Competition
($7,500 annual renewable scholarship), prospective
students must audition on these dates.
music.appstate.edu/prospective-students • 828-262-3020
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 9

TMEA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Johnathan Vest, Ed. D.
LET ME BEGIN by mentioning how
honored I am to help lead such an
incredible group of educators. Your
commitment to our field and our students
is unmatched, and I hope that TMEA
can grow in its support of what you do every
day. Serving as President-Elect for the
past two years, I have had the opportunity
to watch and learn from two amazing
Past-Presidents, Dian Eddleman and Jeff
Phillips. They have worked tirelessly to increase
the effectiveness of our organization.
I am excited to help continue their work.
I would like to thank our Executive Director,
Ron Meers, for all of his hard work
for our organization and especially for being
patient with all of my questions.
First, a brief report on the work of the
board this summer. The Executive Board,
along with Michael Chester: our State Editor,
Mike Mann: our previous Collegiate
Chair, and 3 college students, attended the
National Assembly in Washington D.C. in
June. We were able to meet with the offices
of our two senators and three representatives
to thank them for their support of
ESSA and its mention of music as a core
academic subject and to encourage them
to vote to fully fund the various provisions
of the bill.
I am pleased to say that we have an extremely
talented, hard-working, and organized
group of people on the board this year.
We met in June to discuss several items.
THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR OUR
ORGANIZATION. IT IS NOT WITHOUT ITS
CHALLENGES, BUT I AM CONFIDENT
THAT TOGETHER, WE CAN MEET THESE
CHALLENGES HEAD ON.
Beyond improving the conference, I have
three main agenda items for this year:
1. First, I want to increase the support
TMEA gives to our general music teachers.
I taught general music for 12 years,
and I know how vital these teachers and
programs are to the success of all of our
programs. We MUST have a strong membership
at the general music level to be an
effective organization in the future. Linzie
Mullins, our General Music Chair, and
Charlene Cook, who previously held this
position, are working hard to find ways
to accomplish this goal. We are hoping to
host workshops throughout the year in
each region, as well as having a 4-hour session
on the Saturday of TMEA conference
for those teachers that may have difficulty
getting time off during the week to attend.
2. Second, I would like to see TMEA become
a powerful advocacy organization
at the state level. While NAfME has done
great work at the national level, it is up to
TMEA to advocate for music right here in
Tennessee. Chris Dye from MTSU is now
serving as our advocacy chair, and he has
begun plans for our first TMEA Hill Day in
March of 2017. The primary goal this year
will be to build relationships with our lawmakers,
and build awareness about music
education. We will be in touch with more
details as we go forward. In addition, Stephen
Coleman, former TMEA President
and current President of the Tennessee
Arts Commission, is working with us and
our regional associations to hire a lobbyist
that will keep us informed of any legislation
that impacts music education.
3. Finally, the recent changes at NAfME
have highlighted the need for us to identify
diversity in the leadership of TMEA.
This is a complicated issue and there are
no easy solutions, but I believe that identifying
and mentoring a slate of young and
diverse leaders is paramount to this effort.
10 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

My plan is to have a “Leadership Academy” next summer that will
involve some of our up–and-coming teachers that may not have
had the opportunity to be in a leadership position. I will be asking
some of you to be involved in this effort.
Conference planning, and the improvement of conference, always
looms large when the board meets. While overall successful,
I know there were problems with our rehearsal and performance
venues the past year. We are taking steps to remedy this and I
think we have come to a solution. It looks like we have secured
the Presidential Ballroom as the venue for our All-State concerts.
This is the largest ballroom in the hotel, with a stage large
enough to accommodate all of our performing groups. There is a
catch, of course: To secure
this ballroom, we must book
800 hotel rooms on our peak
nights during the conference.
If we don’t do this, we will
be penalized financially beyond
what we can manage. I
implore you to please stay at
the conference hotel. I know
that many of you and your
students have been staying
at a cheaper hotel during the
conference. I understand that
the cost involved with bringing
students (and yourself )
to the conference is high, and
we want to be respectful of
that fact; however, if we do
not book the required number
of rooms, then we will be
forced to return to holding
our all-state concerts in a
barn-like environment with
birds flying around. Booking
these rooms will also ensure
that we have adequate rehearsal
space for our all-state
ensembles, which was also a
problem last year.
To assist with making
the hotel more affordable,
we have created a form that
you can complete to find
roommates for you or your
students. Go to http://www.
tnmea.org/all-state-roommates.html
to enter your information.
For instance, if
you have 2 boys in the TTBB
choir, you put in that you
would like to pair those students
up with 2 other boys
from another school. Once
you enter your information,
you can click on “View the
form entries” to connect with
other directors who have the
same needs as you. You will
Strategies and Ideas
for Music Educators…
PARTICIPATE IN
RECREATIONAL
MUSIC MAKING
be responsible for contacting the other directors to coordinate
your room and payment situations. I know that ETSBOA has done
this in the past and it has worked well for them.
Of course there are many other items we are working on, and I
will keep you informed as things progress and new issues arise.
This is an exciting time for our organization. It is not without its
challenges, but I am confident that together, we can meet these
challenges head on. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas
please email me at president@tnmea.org.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT IN TMEA. I’M LOOKING FORWARD
TO A GREAT YEAR!
Explore music products and materials that expand learning opportunities
in your music education classroom.
CATCH
LIVE
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NETWORK
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
MUSIC EDUCATORS
To learn more and purchase your Music Industry Day tickets,
visit namm.org/musicindustryday.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION #NAMM
CONNECT WITH
INDUSTRY
INSIDERS
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 11

BY THE NUMBERS
by Matthew Clark
On the 2012 SAT, students who participated in music
scored an average of 31 points above average in reading, 23
points above average in math, and 31 points above average
in writing.
College Board SAT, 2012 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile
Report. (See table 18.)
Schools that have music programs have significantly
higher graduation rates than do those without music programs
(90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent). In addition,
those that rate their programs as “excellent or very
good” have an even higher graduation rate (90.9 percent).
Harris Interactive Inc. (2006). Understanding the Linkages Between
Music Education and Educational Outcomes.
Schools that have music programs have significantly
higher attendance rates than do those without programs
(93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
Harris Interactive Inc. (2006). Understanding the Linkages Between
Music Education and Educational Outcomes.
In spite of this public support and documented benefits,
“only one in four eighth graders reported being asked to
sing or play a music instrument at least once a week.”
-1998 NAEP Assessment
https://www.musicforall.org/who-we-are/advocacy/quick-facts
12 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50
schools showed that students involved in the music
program were better at languages, learned to read more
easily, showed an improved social climate, showed more
enjoyment in school, and had a lower level of stress than
non-music students.
-Weber, E.W., Spychiger, M. & Patry, J.L. (1993)
https://www.musicforall.org/who-we-are/advocacy/quick-facts
State-level arts spending dropped from $409 million in
fiscal year 2002 to 354.5 in fiscal year 2003 and declined
again to $272.4 million in 2004.
- National Assembly of State Arts Agencies https://www.musicforall.
org/who-we-are/advocacy/quick-facts
70% of those who were involved in music say that it was
at least somewhat influential in contributing to their current
level of personal fulfillment.
Harris Interactive Inc. (2008). MENC Executive Omnibus Results
Summary.
Federal funding for the arts and humanities rolls in
around $250 million a year, while the National Science
Foundation is funded around the $5 billion mark.
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-arts-education
VERBATIM
The musician is constantly adjusting decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing, and feeling—
training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at
once. Dedicated practice of this orchestration can have a great payoff for lifelong attention skills, intelligence,
and an ability for self-knowledge and expression.
From A User’s Guide to the Brain, May 31, 2003; Ratey, John J., MD
What is important is not how well a student plays but rather the simultaneous engagement of senses, muscles,
and intellect. … Can you think of better exercise for the mind/brain?
From “The Music in Our Minds,” Educational Leadership, Vol. 56, #3; Norman M. Weinberger
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 13

GOING SOCIAL
by Andy Stewart & Robert Ward
Today’s students are
no longer the people
our educational system
was designed to teach.
—Mark Prensky,
author of Teaching Digital Natives
14 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 68, No. 4

WHILE MARK PRENSKY’S
observation is certainly disturbing,
it’s equally difficult to deny.
The digital world our students
occupy is quite different from anything
most of us have experienced. All they have
known is instant access to information,
communication, and constant stimuli—a
reality that isn’t always reached by traditional
teaching methods. This is not, however,
meant to discount those methods. In
fact, they remain necessary for developing
well-rounded students. Yet, to ignore the
possibilities inherent in the digital space
is to deny an extra measure of success in
the classroom.
Students now have access to more
knowledge than most of us could have
imagined when we were in school. What
is more fascinating is that they regularly
make use of these resources. Whether they
learn how to do something via YouTube or
engage in a conversation via social media,
today’s students will make use of anything
available to them. Therefore, it is necessary
for teachers to develop a digital presence.
It may be as simple as a social media
connection or instituting online lessons.
In each, the teacher’s presence is felt. It
is important to remember that this is not
a personal connection but an extension of
the classroom and should be maintained
as such. While students should not have
access to a teacher’s vacation photos, by
sharing images from a class trip or recent
concert, you can infuse positive energy
into the program.
Some might write off the rise of connected
devices as nothing more than an
added distraction in the classroom, yet the
rapid ascent of mobile, always-on technology
is not devoid of usefulness. In fact, the
very reasons this technology can become
a source of conflict during instruction are
also what make it an incredibly efficient
means of connecting with students. There
are tools and possibilities available to all of
us if we are willing to embrace them.

ENHANCING NOTIFICATIONS
Gone are the days of typing, printing,
copying, and sending home a paper note.
The frequency with which our students
turn their eyes to their smartphones or
tablets overshadows any thought they
would give to a note you send home with
them. Social media not only replaces those
traditional ways of communication, but it
can serve to improve the consistency, effectiveness,
and scope of what you share.
It is important to stress that all social
media communication should be through
accounts or pages created specifically for
your organization and not personal accounts.
Organization-specific accounts
protect you and your students and allow for
administrative oversight, if set up correctly.
The most obvious use of social media is
the replication of a traditional announcement
or note. “Don’t forget to bring $5
for lunch tomorrow,” “Concert is 1 week
away—do you know where your uniform
is?” “Full orchestra rehearsals are Tuesday
and Thursday this week.” Notifications like
these can be shared and viewed instantly
on services such as Remind, Twitter and
Facebook. The message is immediately
available, visible to anyone following your
account (parent, student, administrator,
etc.), and is persistent, remaining in that
space for reference at any time.
Since many of the widely used platforms
work best with frequent but shorter messages,
they are also effective for conveying
notes of affirmation to an ensemble or
group. “Great rehearsal today!” “Excited
about your progress!” “Congrats solo and
ensemble participants!” Through traditional
means, these short notes might not
seem worth the effort. With social media, a
few seconds can translate into a wealth of
positive rapport.
The instant nature of social media (especially
in conjunction with mobile devices)
allows for spontaneous sharing with
your students. Great quotes, beautiful performances,
and inspiring images are all
around us. Facebook and Twitter are great
for broadcasting quick messages through
text, but they can also be used to share a
photo, video, or audio clip that you find
or create yourself. Likewise, services like
Flickr and Instagram can be used to curate
and share photos you take of your organization,
inspirational images, concert posters,
or fun Internet images related to your area.
Lengthy articles or media are not necessarily
the forte of many of these services.
However, they can still be used to redirect
followers to that information. Alongside
a school or organization website, social
media can be used to alert users to information
they need. Share a link to the trip
itinerary on your website, a poll or form to
complete, or a video on YouTube of your
group performing.
ENGAGING STUDENTS
Communication is a two-way street,
and social media can offer a friction-free
conversation between multiple parties. By
requiring students to submit a reply, you
have instant assurance that your message
has been received. If there is confusion,
most platforms offer ways for people to
comment or respond to a post. A student
or parent can ask a follow-up question
immediately, thus reducing the potential
of the message or question getting lost in
translation or time by waiting to address it
in class the next day.
Educators are often searching for ways
to empower their students and help them
take ownership in a program. Posting discussion
questions can go a long way toward
students having input into your organization.
“What would you like to see happen at
the choir retreat?” “How can we get more
people involved in our Spring Concert?”
The nature of these commenting systems
can lead to positive discussion among your
students about a given topic as well.
Social media is also a great way to collect
student responses. “Share your favorite
memory from orchestra this year.” “Who
is available to play holiday music at the
senior center next Saturday?” Some services
like Twitter employ hashtags (#) to
curate and track these posts. By creating a
unique hashtag, members can post using
that hashtag or search for it to see what
others are posting on the same subject.
Create a tag to use for class discussion or a
tag to use on a group trip. Not only are you
creating a means of gathering perspective
and information, you are also empowering
all of your students.
Public Twitter profiles or Facebook Fan
Pages allow for community and parent involvement
as well. Not only can you promote
upcoming events, but you can receive
feedback from the community or interact
with other local organizations. There are
also other professional organizations and
people on social media with whom to interact.
By opening up dialogue with them, you
open the door to networking, promoting,
and enhancing your organization.
EXTENDING THE CLASSROOM
One of the major advantages of our
connectivity is the ability to extend the
classroom. You may be familiar with Khan
Academy, an online resource of math and
science instructional videos. These videos
are short and simple lessons that allow the
viewer to take in the information at their
own pace. In class, you might have to cover
a topic three times as you begin feeling
pressured to move on. If for any reason a
student misses what you said, they don’t
have the chance to receive that instruction.
The idea of a flipped classroom can
address that limitation.
In a flipped classroom, you assign the
instruction as homework and then do the
application in class. This allows the student
to spend as much time taking in the
instruction as they need and gives the
student access to the teacher during the
application portion of the instruction. Social
media has made it easy to share these
lessons and provide a medium where students
can network with each other and
with the instructor outside the classroom.
A simple implementation could be sharing
a link to a website where they can learn
the treble and bass clef notes. Assign it as
homework and the next day in class, dive
straight into application. If there is any
confusion, students can comment on the
post the instructor has made on the social
media network.
More complex lessons might need to be
created by the instructor, and while this
can be time consuming, the benefit is a library
of lessons ready for years to come.
By sharing them through your organization
website, lessons of all kinds that are
delivered via YouTube and other educational
sites like ShowMe can be viewed by
students outside of class as many times as
is necessary.
Instead of burning part CDs for every
student, host them on the school website
and share the links via social media. Create
a pronunciation and translation guide
for a piece and share the image on Facebook,
Twitter, or Instagram. Students can
practice it on their own and go back to it if
needed at a later time.
A YouTube or ShowMe video describing
the phrase and dynamic structure of
a piece and how to notate it in the score
could save 20–30 minutes of valuable rehearsal
time. Assigning it as homework, inclass
discussion of these elements can be
more meaningful and less tedious, saving
time for more in-depth discussion.
16 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

Using social media to enhance and augment class discussion
may also encourage more passive students to contribute. A Twitter
or Facebook discussion of the poetry in a piece might open the
door to someone who would otherwise be nervous about contributing
in front of a group and could lead to a greater appreciation
for the work by all of your students.
Though the idea of using technology to enhance, augment, and
even replace in-class instruction may seem daunting, most of
these tools are readily accessible and easy to learn. Accept that
your online lessons ( just like those in class) won’t be perfect.
What you will find, however, is that most lessons that take 30
minutes to teach in class can be taught in 3–5 minutes through an
online resource or other video, image, or audio you create. Social
media allows you to put that lesson directly in front of your students
in a space they already occupy and leaves more time in class
for the deeper connections to the music and each other that we all
want our students to experience.
EXERCISING CAUTION
You must take time to set up your online instructor presence
correctly. If you take the time to implement them as you should,
most social media platforms offer robust ways of protecting your
privacy and that of your students.
For more guidance on following best practices and establishing
your own policies for responsible use of social media, read “What
You Should Know Before You Post.”
One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known
coming to an end. —Jiddu Krishnamurti
Like the students we teach, communication has evolved from
the traditional means with which most educators are comfortable.
Today’s students are riding the front edge of this sea of change.
Educators, too, should consider embracing this culture. Though it
is not reasonable to abandon traditional teaching methods, utilizing
the digital space that exists can help transform and enhance
your curriculum for the digital age and, in doing so, help you connect
with your students in a more authentic way.
Andy Stewart is Director of Choirs at The Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas.
Robert Ward is a music education graduate student and teaching assistant at
Southern Methodist University. He has spent the past decade teaching middle and
high school choir at Rowlett HS and at The Oakridge School.
Reprinted from the Southwestern Musician with permission from Texas Music
Educators Association.

Some are born with
in their souls
Heather Klossner, music education
If authenticity had
a soul, you would
find it in the new
faculty joining us
this fall. Creativity
flows through their
veins. They were born
with music in their
blood. Like you, they
belong at the UofM.
DEGREES OFFERED
B.M., M.M., D.M.A., Ph.D.
AUDITION DATES
Dec. 3, 2016
Feb. 4, 2017
Feb. 18, 2017
Feb. 25, 2017
memphis.edu/music
William Shaltis, percussion
Kimberly Patterson, cello
Artina McCain, piano
Marcin Arendt, violin
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 19

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU POST
by Karen Cross

TRYING TO KEEP UP with the rapid evolution in mobile technology and social media
platforms can be overwhelming; yet the reality is that they offer undeniably effective
and efficient means of communicating. As detailed in “Going Social” by Andy
Stewart and Robert Ward, these technologies can help you keep students and parents
informed, build a greater sense of community, and even extend the effectiveness of your
instruction. While the technologies are quite easily accessible, using them effectively and
responsibly isn’t always as simple as pressing send.
Without face-to-face interaction, we
lack the immediate opportunity to observe
whether our communication was understood.
And while this would suggest we
should try to be clearer and more cautious
in our electronic communications, the reality
quite often seems the opposite—our
hurried texts, social network updates, and
emails at times reflect carelessness. And
for educators, this can have significant and
long-lasting consequences.
In the April 2013 issue of School Band &
Orchestra, an attorney specializing in education
law reported on several legal issues
facing music educators. He remarked:
Given the potentially significant consequences,
music educators who work
so closely with students would do well
to consider what department policies
and/or personal professional practices
should be put in place to protect themselves
from facing the kinds of scenarios
that people normally think would never
happen to them . . . What would prevent
a student from making any sort of false
allegation? If the allegations can pass
the initial “smell test,” what effect could
it have on career, family, and reputation,
even if eventually exonerated?” 1
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Considering the effectiveness as well as
the potential pitfalls inherent in communicating
electronically, it seems a bit confusing
to know what’s best.
To help answer this question, we surveyed
fine arts administrators across Texas
to learn about their educators’ use of social
media, their district policies, and their advice
about communicating electronically
with students and parents. Responses by
over 60 administrators demonstrated a
consistent overall view about the benefits
and concerns of teachers communicating
electronically with students and parents.
Over 85% said their teachers use social
media to communicate with students and
parents; almost all use email; 67% use a
program Facebook page; and 58% text. Of
the districts responding, 72% have electronic
communications policies.
DISTRICT POLICIES
While the information shared here was
common across the state, always begin by
using your district’s policies as the guide
for communicating with your students and
their parents. If your district doesn’t have
a policy about electronic communication,
start by creating at least a program-level
policy, or work with administrators to establish
one for the district. As you create a
policy or review the one you have, consider
the following common statements found in
policies found in Texas:
• Employees are held to the same professional
standards in their public use of
electronic media as they are for any other
public conduct.
• Employees will not share their personal
networking sites with students or
include students as members or friends.
• Employees using text messaging
must limit communications to matters
within the scope of their professional
responsibilities.
• Employees have the right to participate
in social networking sites; however, they
should not post anything that would violate
student confidentiality rights or that
would negatively affect the perception of
the employee’s ability to be effective in
their job.
• The district believes use of electronic
media can be beneficial to students and
parents in the educational process and in
the communication of information.
• The employee must maintain and is responsible
for all communication within
the program’s social network and cannot
turn the responsibility over to a student
or parent.
• Parents must grant written permission
for the director to send text messages
about the program to their child and must
further permit the director to copy the parent
on all text messages sent their child.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 21

• Text messaging must be limited to between
the hours of 6 A.M. and 9 P.M. unless
addressing matters of immediate concern
(e.g., late arrival home from an event).
• The employee continues to be subject
to applicable state and federal laws, local
policies, administrative regulations, and
the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices
for Texas Educators, even when
communicating regarding personal and
private matters, regardless of whether
the employee is using private or public
equipment, on or off campus.
WHAT’S ON YOUR WALL?
If you researched this topic of educators’
use of social media, you would find
two common directives—not to friend
students on your personal social network
page and to set up a page specifically for
your program communications. Even if
you take these advised steps, understand
that educators are held to the same standard
in their personal social media updates
that they are for their behavior in any other
public venue. Just because you can limit
whom you invite to your personal page,
this offers no guarantee that the information
you communicate will not find its way
beyond your set of online friends.
In 2010, the National Education Association
reported that there had been three
court cases in which teachers claimed that
their First Amendment rights were violated
when they were punished because of
their postings on social networking sites.
In all cases, the teachers lost. 4
Even with concerns about using social
media, administrators surveyed still view
it as too beneficial not to use. With that in
mind, we asked them what kind of guidance
they would offer their teachers about
the use of social media. Some common replies
included:
• Learn and follow your district’s policies.
• Don’t use a personal Facebook page for
your program.
• Create a program Facebook page or
Facebook group (research the differences
to see what best fits your needs and
policies).
• Don’t friend students on your personal
page.
• Exercise caution when updating your
personal page. It must continue to be a
positive reflection on you as an educator.
• Encourage parents to join the program’s
Facebook page to help establish
transparency.
• If you allow students to post, create
strict guidelines about that content, and
monitor it.
• Remove any posts that are questionable
or that don’t pertain to the program.
• Check your spelling and grammar—your
writing should reflect positively your role
as an educator, even in social media.
TO TEXT OR NOT TO TEXT
Anyone who pays attention to the news is
aware of instances in which inappropriate
student-teacher relationships have been
exposed through their text records. Even
when no such relationship exists, the frequency
or timing of texts can give districts
the obligation to investigate. In a report
about the changes to the Texas Educators’
Code of Ethics in 2010, the Association of
Texas Professional Educators explained
that during the revision process, Texas Education
Agency staff argued that texting is
often evidence of “grooming” a student for
a future inappropriate relationship.
The State Board for Educator Certification
(SBEC) accepted that a change was
necessary—specifically providing that the
nature, subject, purpose, timing or amount
of communication could lead to a finding
that the communication was inappropriate
and warranted sanction. 5
Some districts have reacted to concerns
about texting by completely banning its
use between teachers and students. In
other districts, the only teachers allowed to
text are those with extracurricular responsibilities.
As mentioned above, 58% of the
Texas music teachers represented by our
survey results use texting to communicate
with students and parents.
When 78% of teens have a cell phone
and 63% text regularly, it’s difficult to ignore
the effectiveness of this medium, so
we asked administrators to offer advice
on texting. Of course, first follow your district’s
guidelines. If your district doesn’t
have a policy, create one and review it with
your school administrators to gain their
approval before implementing it.
The following are suggestions offered by
administrators about responsible texting:
• Get administrator approval on the type
of content that will be texted and stick to
that.
• Text students only if you have their parental
permission (some require parents
to be copied on all texts as well).
• Text only groups (if you must text an
individual, include their parent).
• Copy a coworker or fine arts administrator
on texts.
• Text about program information only.
• Do not text anything personal, ever.
• Instead of your personal cell phone,
use a web application to send group texts
(e.g., Remind, Charms).
• Don’t overuse texting.
• Immediately report to a supervisor any
questionable texts
received from a student.
• Reread every text before sending.
• Do not text in the late evening hours.
• Don’t respond to any text that isn’t
about the program
information.
TEACH STUDENTS RESPONSIBLE USE
The use of social media raises several
concerns, but it also raises opportunity—
the opportunity to teach students about
responsible use. For example, in each of their
music program handbooks, Leander ISD includes
a section on Digital Citizenship. The
following is an excerpt from this policy:
Members are responsible for their personal
websites and postings, as well as
posting from or on other students’ websites.
The areas of appropriateness will
include but are not limited to profane, foul,
or disrespectful language (abbreviated
or alluding to), pictures, suggestive poses,
clothing, references to alcohol, drugs,
and/or tobacco, and postings (either text
or photos) that could be interpreted as being
negative or threatening toward other
LISD teaching staff or band members, or
that demonstrate poor sportsmanship or a
22 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

disrespectful attitude toward other bands. Any such incident will
result in review by the principal (or designee) and may lead to probation
or dismissal from the band.
The policy includes consequences for sequential violations, the
third of which results in the student’s removal from the program.
With the rapid evolution in technology, the tools discussed here
will quickly become obsolete. However, the guiding principles behind
the suggestions and policies will always transcend the technology
being used and underscore the privilege and responsibility
that comes with this most important profession.
GO WHERE
THE MUSIC
TAKES YOU
References
1. Kevin McNamara. “Music Law: Crimes, Cash, and Copyright.” School Band &
Orchestra, April 4, 2013. (www.tmea.org/smlink/SBO2013)
2. “Teens and Technology 2013.” Pew Research Center, Pew Internet and
American Life Project. March 13, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013 (www.tmea.
org/smlink/TeensTech2013)
3. “Teens 2012: Truth, Trends, and Myths about Teen Online Behavior.” Pew
Research Center, Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved May
20, 2013 (www.tmea.org/smlink/Teens2012)
4. Mike Simpson. “Social Networking Nightmares.” Tomorrow’s Teachers,
2010. National Education Association.
(www.tmea.org/smlink/NEA2010)
5. Paul Tapp. “A prescription for educator behavior.” ATPE News. Spring 2011.
(www.tmea.org/smlink/ATPE2011)
Other Resources
Texas Educator Code of Ethics in Texas Administrative Code, Rule 247.2.
Retrieved May 20, 2013 (www.tmea.org/smlink/CodeofEthics)
Lori Jaross. “Is Facebook an educator’s friend or foe?” ATPE News. Spring
2010. (www.tmea.org/smlink/ATPE2010)
TASB Legal Services. “School District Employees and Electronic Media.”
Retrieved May 20, 2013 (www.tmea.org/smlink/TASB2010)
Karen Cross is Communications Manager with Texas Music Educators Association.
Belmont’s School of Music provides training and mentorship
to aspiring musicians from across the country so that they can
use their gifts to engage and transform the world. Learn how
you can join the next class of rising stars and see our event
calendar at belmont.edu/music.
UNDERGRADUATE AUDITION DATES:
11.12.16 • 1.14.17 • 1.28.17 • 2.11.17 • 3.18.17
(Admission Only)
Reprinted from the Southwestern Musician with permission from Texas Music
Educators Association.
GRADUATE AUDITION DATES:
11.12.16 • 1.20.17 • 2.17.17 • 2.24.17
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 23

24 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

TMEA STATE GENERAL MUSIC CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Linzie Mullins
We are pleased to announce that there will be a
Saturday session geared toward general music
education, and we hope that you will attend.
GREETINGS! My name is Linzie
Mullins, and I am honored to serve
as the TMEA General Music State
Chair. Humbled by this opportunity,
I would like to thank our President, Dr.
Johnathan Vest, for trusting me to hold
this position. I currently reside in Memphis,
and also serve as the WTGMEA president.
My husband and I are both music
teachers, we actually met at Orff Level 1
here in Memphis!
As I write this article, I am reflecting
on my past years of teaching. I know with
absolute certainty that I would not be
the educator I am without the wonderful
resources given to me by attending conferences
such as the TMEA Conference.
We have heard responses from general
music educators that the conference falls
too close to testing week or it is asking
you to take off too many days of work. We
hear you! And this year, we are pleased to
announce that there will be a Saturday
session geared toward general music education,
and we hope that you will attend. I
challenge you to come and attend the conference,
and if you cannot attend the whole
conference, attend on Friday and Saturday,
the two days we are really working on gearing
towards your needs. Have any ideas you
would like to share? I strongly encourage
you to present a session and share your
ideas with other teachers in Tennessee.
As I stated before, professional development
opportunities have really shaped me
into the educator that I am. I would love to
share the workshops you have in your area
with other teachers across the state. Please
share any professional developments you
have scheduled with me, and I will post
them to our Tennessee General Music Education
Association Facebook page.
Lastly, I would like to share with you an
idea you may want to incorporate you’re
your music classroom this year. Over the
past couple of years I have tried to incorporate
more technology in my classroom, and
by talking with colleagues and researching,
I stumbled upon augmented reality. For
those who do not know what augmented
reality, or AR is, it is a computer-generated
image superimposed on an object while being
viewed through a tablet, smartphone,
laptop, etc. There are many apps that can
generate AR videos or graphics for you,
but the one that I use is Aurasma. When
you have the application open and scan a
picture, document, or object that has an
AR tag, a new graphic will appear. You can
upload videos of your students dancing,
singing, playing, or even presenting a project.
You can even then show other students
their peers’ performances in a new and exciting
way.
When I learned about augmented reality
I immediately had to find a way to implement
it in my classroom. I wanted parents
to be able to see what their students were
doing in my classroom, so I would post pictures
in the hallway with instructions on
how to download the app and get the link
to my private Aurasma videos. They would
then be able to use the camera on the app,
place the camera over the picture, and a
video would appear. I would put videos
of the students performing dances, singing
songs, or playing instruments on each
of the items hanging on the wall. When I
showed the students for the first time, they
were so excited that they invited their parents
to the “Hall of Fame” to watch the videos
of the students’ performances. This not
only gave my classroom more attention, it
gave the students a chance to show their
parents, friends, relatives, etc. what they
had learned in my classroom without having
a physical music program.
I also found a great way to use AR with
the older students when I did a composer
study unit. The students were in groups of
two or three and created online posters of
a composer. We printed these posters, and
the students presented it to the class. I videoed
their presentation, and used AR to put
the video on their poster. So, in the hallway,
the posters looked amazing! But, the most
amazing part was giving other students
the opportunity to watch their peers present
the material using this technology. The
students now ask if their performances can
be put in the Hall of Fame, and I am able to
say, “Yes!” and have it there by the end of
the school day.
I hope that you are able to find a way to
use augmented reality in your classroom.
And, I am looking forward to meeting you
all at the TMEA Professional Development
Conference, and also learning from you in
your sessions.
Resources:
• Link to “Teaching with Aurasma” Video https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHIxYpBW7sc
• Link to TED Talk by Matt Mills on Augmented
Reality Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frrZbq2LpwI
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 25

TMEA STATE CHORAL CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by W. Fitzgerald Patton
I
BELIEVE THAT MUSIC EDUCATORS HAVE A GREAT CALLING
to change and inspire the lives of our students each and every
day we are in the classroom. As state choral chair, my job is to
keep you informed on issues relevant to choral music education
so that teachers across this great state can continue fulfilling their
purpose. I am privileged to help strengthen music education in
our state through serving choral directors across the regions.
Having a unified audition process
will make the process throughout the
state more fair. In addition this uniform
approach will better ensure that the
top students are placed in each choir
because the process a student would
go through to get in a mid-state or allstate
chorus would be the same.
Before I introduce myself, let me take a moment to thank Jan
Johnson, our previous state choral chair, for all of her hard work.
Her dedication to serving choral directors is most appreciated. I
am Gerald Patton, choral director and fine arts chair at Blackman
High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I have taught elementary
general music, high school chorus, general music and music
theory. I have nearly 20 years of experience in music education. I
have served on the MTVA board for eight years as freshman honor
choir chair. I am the founding organizer of the Rutherford County
High School Choral Festival which has been in existence since
2006. I am also the artistic director for the Wilson County Civic
League Summer Arts Academy, a non-profit organization, located
in my hometown of Lebanon, Tennessee. Finally, I am a church
musician and worship leader at the Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian
Church.
This is my first year on the state board, and I am honored to
serve in this capacity. The board met in early June to discuss many
issues for the upcoming school year. Most of our discussion centered
on our next TMEA conference in Nashville, Tennessee April
5 - 8, 2017. There were several hot topics, but the one that I believe
most of you are concerned about is this year’s all-state choral performance
venue. I can assure you, a lot of work has been devoted
to making sure our students have the best experience at all-state.
With that being said, we will not be at “the barn” again. Ron Meers,
TMEA executive director, is working tirelessly to ensure that we
have the performances at the presidential ballroom. But in order
for TMEA to acquire this space, we need ALL music directors
(band, orchestra, and choral) to stay at the Opryland Hotel. More
specifically, if we can book 800 rooms, then we are almost guaranteed
the ability to have the presidential ballroom for our all-state
performances. Directors, please help us and encourage your colleagues
to stay at the Opryland Hotel for our 2017 conference.
Other issues that were discussed included uniform audition
standards across the regions, transgender equality, diversity in
the NAfME and TMEA leadership, general assembly, conference
rooming coordinator, and new state music standards. Some of
these topics generated a great deal of discussion. With others
there was less discussion because of the need to do more research
and follow up.
Regarding, the transgender policy, the TMEA board will have
much more discussion before we elect to give an official recommendation,
but our main point is that students who are transgender
are not excluded in participating in music performances.
There is still a lot of dialogue that needs to happen, and I welcome
your feedback. But the bottom line is this; make sure all students
are included in your performances and make necessary accommodations
within reason so these students are not singled out.
Being African American, I am very fortunate to have attained
the successes I have had in my career, but I owe my success to the
teachers who inspired me and to my parents. I am on the state
board because I had a fellow colleague in my county recommend
me because she believed in me and knew that I possessed leadership
skills that would help further music education in our state.
Both NAfME and TMEA desire to have more African American
26 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

directors in leadership positions on both
the state and national level. One of the
things I would like to see occur is a mentoring
program for minority teachers in each
region. I will talk with the regional presidents
to advocate for a mentoring program
that can be put into place to help us have a
more diversified state and national board.
Each year at the TMEA conference we
have our opening general assembly. You are
probably aware that the format of our general
assembly changes from year to year.
We want all music teachers to come to this
assembly, but there has been discussion on
moving the assembly to Saturday morning.
The rationale is that professional development
sessions could be offered that are
geared toward middle school general music
and choral directors. Also, moving the
general assembly to Saturday would solve
transportation issues for the TN Treble
Choir that performs during the session.
There are three more important topics
to address before I close. The first is a uniform
audition process for mid-state and
all-state chorus. Right now, each region
in Tennessee (West, Middle, East) has its
own process for judging, scoring, and having
auditions. For instance, some regions
have blind auditions, and other regions
do not. Having a unified audition process
will make the process throughout the state
more fair. In addition this uniform approach
will better ensure that the top students
are placed in each choir because the
process a student would go through to get
in a mid-state or all-state chorus would be
the same. This possibility of uniformity is
in the early stages. I have more research to
do, and I need to have numerous conversations
with each region before any new procedures
go into place.
Once students have auditioned, many
directors book their hotel rooms. I just
want to remind you that the hotel block
will not open until February 1st. Also, I
strongly encourage directors to stay at the
Opryland Hotel so that our association can
get the presidential ballroom. One way we
would like to encourage directors to stay at
Opryland is to have a rooming coordinator
for each region. A lot of times many schools
only have one or two in all-state. If this is
the case, the hotel room is much higher. If
we can match directors in the same region
with other directors, then we could room
share and cut down on cost. Let’s be honest,
the directors that do not stay at the
conference hotel don’t because of expense.
I want to help with this. More information
will be coming to directors about this later.
Finally, our music standards have not
been revised in many, many years. A revision
is being done. The standards that most
of us know and have taught for quite a while
-- sing, play, listen, improvise, etc. will be
complimented with new foundations like
relate, select, develop, interpret. This is all
in an effort to clean up our standards and
give music educators more specifics in
teaching the standards to our children.
Thank you for reading my column. I want
you to know that I am available to you if
you have questions, concerns, suggestions,
and comments. I have a lot to learn in transitioning
to this position, but I can assure
you that I will do my very best to keep you
informed and help in any way. Let me know
things you’d like to see at our conference.
Also, know it’s not too early to be thinking
about applying to present a session at our
conference. Again, the date of the 2017
TMEA Conference is April 5 – 8. Other important
dates include the National ACDA
Conference is March 8 -11, 2017 in Minneapolis,
MN. Mark these dates on your calendar.
Thank you for your time, and I wish
you a very successful school year!
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 27

TMEA STATE ORCHESTRA CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Michelle Clupper
One of things that I truly believe will
have a benefit statewide is to ensure
that all of our orchestra directors have
a mentor, whether they are new to the
profession or just the region.
“CAN YOU TEACH ORCHESTRA?”
Those are the words that changed my
teaching career and one could say, my life.
In the spring of 2010, I was asked by my
then principal if I could teach orchestra
due to a series of unfortunate staff reductions
at our school. My response? “Am I
certified, or can I?” He told me that he had
complete faith in my ability to actually
teach the class. Truthfully, I wasn’t so sure.
So many questions swirled around in my
head. Would the kids dismiss me because
I’m a wind player? Would I shortchange
them due to the fact that I’m a band person?
The answer to both of those questions
of course turned out to be no. My orchestra
students were kind, helpful and funny. I
learned as they learned and I even stopped
saying things like “get your horns up”!
So much has changed for me over the
years but one thing has stayed the same: I
love to go into the classroom every day and
work with young people. I am privileged
to be in my seventeenth year of teaching,
fourteen of which have been at Farragut
High School in Knoxville. At Farragut, I
currently serve as the orchestra director,
the assistant band director and also teach
AP music theory and history of rock.
I have come to truly understand the importance
of having a mentor as an educator.
I was lucky enough as a young teacher
to start my career under the guidance of
veteran teachers, like Mark Connell and
Ron Rogers that cared about my success or
failure as a band director. They wanted my
students to have a good experience in band and they knew that meant that I needed to
know my craft. By 2010, people had stopped referring to me as a new teacher. I began to
think that I no longer need a mentor, and then suddenly found myself as a “new” teacher
once again. When I found out that I would be teaching orchestra, I quickly called on
veteran teachers around me and found an educational support system in the directors
in my region. Katie Middleton, Peggy Jones, Gary Wilkes and many others have been my
sounding board for concert literature and answered more questions than you can possibly
imagine. Without their willingness to help a “new” teacher, where would I be? Now that
I am a few years down the road, I feel much more comfortable choosing literature and
discussing technique with my students but that is due in large part to the mentorship of
the teachers around me.
As a veteran music educator, I feel like it is so easy to get wrapped up in our day-to-day
tasks and forget that newer directors might be floundering and need guidance in those same
tasks. I also once believed that if someone needed my help or expertise, they would contact
me and ask. I now know that is not always the case. Sometimes you either don’t know whom
to call or you are afraid that someone might see your questions as a sign of incompetence.
One of things that I truly believe will have a benefit statewide is to ensure that all of our
orchestra directors have a mentor, whether they are new to the profession or just the region.
One of my favorite moments of the 2016 TMEA Conference was attending the orchestra
caucus where I had the pleasure of meeting many of the other directors from across
the state. There was so much wonderful advice given, positive ideas shared and encouragement
offered that I suddenly felt like part of a much larger community. The most interesting
concept that I took away from the meeting was the idea of strengthening our
connections across the state. We decided to look into assembling a state-wide directory
of orchestra teachers that would be compiled from the regional association membership
lists. In my opinion, this is a very exciting prospect and something that I would find extremely
beneficial.
In closing, I would encourage each and every one of you to be an active voice in your
school, district, region and state. We are so lucky to have incredible teachers with a diverse
set of skills and strengths and we should be our own best advocate. If you have a
successful teaching strategy that you would like to share, please apply to present a session
at TMEA and share your knowledge for the benefit of your colleagues around the state.
I would also encourage all of you who are on Facebook to visit the group “Tennessee Orchestra
Directors” which is a forum for topics related to orchestra programs across the
state. If you have ideas that you would like to share or ways that I can help you or your
program, please do not hesitate to contact me.
28 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

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Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 29

TENNESSEE
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2017 MARCHING BAND AUDITION DATES
Music Majors and Music Minors
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Non Music Majors
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30 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1
Connect with UT Bands

TMEA STATE BAND CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by David Chipman
HELLO COLLEAGUES! I hope your
school year continues to be a meaningful
time of learning and achievement
for your students. To our
teachers in their first year or new to our
state: At any time during the year, please
do not hesitate to contact an experienced
director for help. Our state is blessed with
some of the finest music educators in the
country who would be willing to assist.
Please remember that the best teachers are
those who keep an open mind and always
continue to learn.
On a personal note, I would like to thank
Dr. Jonathan Vest for asking me to serve as
your TN State Band Chair. Special thanks
to Debbie Burton for her exceptional service
and dedication to our band programs
and students across Tennessee. I sincerely
appreciate the support, help and encouragement
she has given me over the past
few months.
The 2016 State Concert Festival was a
great success! Thirty bands were scheduled
to perform. Thank you to Greg Wolynec,
John Schnettler, Eric Branscome, and the
students at Austin Peay State University for
being such wonderful hosts.
The 2017 State Concert Festival will be
hosted again by Austin Peay State University.
The confirmed dates are April 27 and 28.
Two motions were passed at the TMEA
Jazz Caucus in April 2016.
1. In the event that a student with a visual
impairment auditions for TMEA all state
jazz band: All students will sight read,
however sight reading scores will be disregarded
from the final tally of that specific
instrument.
2. BOTH Blues in F (2 choruses) and
Rhythm changes in Bb (1 chorus) will
be used for improvisation during the
TMEA all state jazz audition.
The specific rhythm section recordings
used for the improvisation will be:
a. Blues in F, Jamey Aebersold, vol. 42,
track 6
b. Rhythm changes in Bb, Jamey Aebersold,
vol. 47, track 1
Our 2017 All State Band Conductors will be:
• Paula Crider, University of Texas Director
of Bands Emeritus, will conduct
the 11-12 All State Band.
• Richard Saucedo, retired Director of
Bands from Carmel High School in Indiana,
will conduct the 9-10 All State Band.
The best teachers
are those who
keep an open
mind and always
continue to learn.
My best hopes to you, your students and
parents for continued success through the
school year. Please feel free to contact me
at any time if you have questions or concerns.
It is my honor to serve TMEA.
I’ll close with a favorite quote from Helen
Keller: “One can never consent to creep
when one feels an impulse to soar”. That’s
why we teach, so our students can soar!
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 31

TMEA STATE HIGHER EDUCATION CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Ryan Fisher, Ph. D.
University departments
of music will need to be
prepared for a possible influx
of transferring students from
community colleges in fall
2017. Partnerships with local
community college music
programs may be warranted
to ensure a smoother
transition into four-year
university music programs.
THERE IS REALLY SOMETHING QUITE SPECIAL about walking around
a university campus on the first week of classes. The new
freshmen have a look of amazement as they wander around
the campus seeking the location of their next class. Even the returning
students have budgeted time in their morning routine to
groom and actually show up to class on time. As the new TMEA
State Higher Education Chair, I feel a bit like our incoming freshmen
as I “learn the ropes” of this new job. Unlike our returning
students who eventually reduce the time spent grooming and return
to their evil ways of skipping class, I promise to approach this
job properly groomed and dedicated to “showing up” every day in
order to serve this incredible organization. I would like to congratulate
and applaud our past higher education chair, Dr. Eric
Branscome, for his distinguished service over the past two years.
He expertly organized and executed the highly successful 2016
TMEA Intercollegiate Band at last year’s state conference, and
provided a thorough blueprint for me to follow during my tenure
in this position.
The 2017 TMEA conference will feature the Intercollegiate
Orchestra. We are excited that Jeffrey Grogan, Education and
Community Engagement Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony
Orchestra, has agreed to serve as our guest conductor this year. I
would like to invite all university programs with string students to
make plans (February 5-6, 2017) to submit your talented students
in order to ensure the ensemble is successful this year.
I would also like to encourage directors of small ensembles or
chamber ensembles to consider applying to perform at the 2017
TMEA Professional Development Conference, February 6-8. Various
groups will be selected to perform in the exhibit hall or at other
locations throughout the conference hall. This is a wonderful
opportunity for non-traditional ensembles and chamber groups
to feature their school’s music program to fellow music educators
from across the state. The application for these conference performance
opportunities will be available on our website very soon.
32 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

In addition to coordinating various events for the TMEA conference,
I also hope to keep our higher education colleagues
abreast of current trends in music teacher training that directly
impact our Tennessee students. One issue that was discussed at
the last TMEA Higher Education Caucus was the possible impact
of the Tennessee Promise. As most of you are aware, TN Promise
provides Tennessee students with a scholarship to cover tuition
and fees not covered by Pell grants, HOPE scholarship, or other
state student assistance funds if they attend a TN community college
or applied technology college. Because some students may
wish to complete two years of college for free and then transfer to
a four-year college/university, university music programs will be
forced to develop a plan for these transferring students seeking
a music education degree. Few community colleges in Tennessee
offer rigorous music programs, so it is not clear how students
transferring from community colleges will be able to complete licensure
requirements in two years, especially since most Teacher
Education Programs in TN require a one-year residency (student
teaching). University departments of music will need to be prepared
for a possible influx of transferring students from community
colleges in fall 2017. Partnerships with local community
college music programs may be warranted to ensure a smoother
transition into four-year university music programs.
Music teacher training programs are also becoming better acquainted
with the edTPA, a subject-specific assessment in which
teacher candidates must demonstrate their teacher effectiveness
through three tasks: planning, instruction, and assessment.
The edTPA is scored by external reviewers within the discipline
through Pearson. Currently, ten Tennessee universities use the
edTPA to meet the state performance assessment requirement;
however, Tennessee does not require the edTPA for licensure and
has not established a passing score. Because of this, each university
education program is establishing its own passing score and
some are not allowing teacher candidates who do not meet the
passing score to graduate or process their licensure application
to the state. Though rumor has it the state will soon add the edT-
PA as a licensure requirement, a recent search of their website
produced no mention of edTPA. As a side note, the edTPA costs
each teacher candidate $300, is completed in their final semester
of residency, and requires students to devote well over 60 hours to
develop their materials for a successful submission.
Music teacher trainers and music education students may also be
delighted to discover the TN Department of Education recently adjusted
the qualifying score on the ACT required for acceptance into
a teacher education program. They now accept a composite ACT
score of 21 or above (SAT 1020), or students would need to pass the
Praxis I Core Academic Skills for Educators exam. To date, no plans
have been made to lower the passing score on the Praxis II: Music
Content and Instruction exam despite low pass rates.
Despite the many challenges related to music teacher licensure,
I am still inspired and encouraged by our music education students.
Their passion for music and children reassure me that the
future of music education in Tennessee is in good hands. I wish
you all a wonderful semester as you impart knowledge and confidence
into our future music teachers.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 33

TMEA STATE COLLEGIATE NAfME CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Jennifer Vannatta-Hall, Ed. D.
THERE IS EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR! Whether you are a
first-semester freshman or a fifth- or sixth-year senior, I
welcome you to become involved with TMEA. I am enthusiastically
stepping into the roll as your TMEA Collegiate
Chair, a position I am slated to hold for the next two years.
I have had the pleasure of teaching college students since 2004.
Reflecting back on my own college experience and advising countless
pre-service music educators, I would like to offer some advice
on finding balance and getting the most from your college years.
College provides a sustained opportunity for independence, and
with that independence brings challenges to time management.
Strive to balance your time so that you can excel academically,
maintain your personal and work responsibilities, and experience
what college life can offer.
Manage your time.
The life of a music education student is super busy! Time management
plays a key role in maintaining life balance and avoiding
stress. Proactively develop a system for scheduling your time and
avoiding procrastination. Schedule time for eating, attending
class, working, studying, practicing and socializing – as well as
planning time just for you. Then be sure to have a system for keeping
up with your schedule and appointments to stay organized.
All of your courses are
designed to prepare you
to be a competent and
confident music teacher.
In the state of TN, you are
required to take and pass
the Praxis Music Content
Knowledge test to become
a licensed music teacher.
Know your degree requirements.
Become familiar with your course requirements for graduating
with the music education degree. Often, the course requirements
are specified by semester or year. This helps keep you on track to
graduate in four years. Students sometimes get to their senior year
and realize they have missed a graduation requirement. Following
your degree plan and meeting regularly with your advisor can help
you avoid problems.
Meet with your advisor.
Music education is a demanding degree and sometimes involves
complicated intricacies with course requirements, ensembles
and education courses. To stay abreast of degree requirements
and schedule and policy changes, it is so important for you to
meet with your advisor at least once per semester. Be proactive in
knowing who your academic advisor is, and be sure to introduce
yourself early in your college career.
Study smart.
Determine a productive area to study. Your dorm room or apartment
may not be the best place to study. Check out campus spaces
that are dedicated to studying. Most campuses have a variety
of student lounges and designated quiet areas. Develop efficient
study habits, and then adjust your schedule accordingly to allow
sufficient time to complete homework and prepare for exams.
Keep your course materials.
All of your courses are designed to prepare you to be a competent
and confident music teacher. In the state of TN, you are
required to take and pass the Praxis Music Content Knowledge
34 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

test to become a licensed music teacher. This test assesses your
knowledge of music history, theory, technology, and instrumental
and choral methods. You never know what your first teaching
job will be. Therefore, it’s wise to save your course materials
and music-related textbooks. Take notes in each of your classes
and save them for future reference. Reviewing course materials
are extremely helpful when preparing for the Praxis and provide
a wealth of ideas and information for your first year as a music
teacher.
Let things roll off.
To quote author Richard Carlson (1997), “Don’t sweat the small
stuff.” It’s easier said than done, but learn to let things go once in
a while. Insults, criticisms, setbacks – let them all go. So what if
your clothes do not get cleaned every week or that you miss a social
event. Learn to recognize the things that are not absolute necessities,
then don’t beat yourself up for letting them go.
Ask for help.
College provides access to countless resources. You can consult
professors, advisors, tutoring centers, health clinic, counseling
center, and more for assistance. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to
ask for help. We all need help at times, and that’s why colleges have
these resources available to you.
Set priorities.
There is lots of research regarding the benefits of goal setting.
We sometimes allow ourselves to feel overwhelmed rather than
taking charge and developing a prioritized list of things that need
to get done. Set goals and develop a to-do list. There is satisfaction
in crossing things off your list.
College is an exciting time in your life, but it can also be challenging
and overwhelming. College requires independence, passion,
organization and dedication. Make the most of your college
experience by striving for and achieving balance.
Carlson, R. (1997) Don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s all small
stuff: Simple ways to keep the little things from taking over your
life. New York: Hyperion.
PROPOSED TN BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY
TO CHANGE LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
In addition to fulfilling degree requirements for graduation,
music teacher candidates must also currently take and pass two
Praxis assessments: (a) Principles of Learning and Teaching; and
(b) Music Content Knowledge to become K-12 licensed music
teachers in TN. There is a proposed policy going before the TN
State Board of Education on October 14, 2016 in which licensure
requirements could change.
The TN State Board of Education met on July 22, 2016 for a
first reading of “Professional Assessments Policy 5.105.” This
item recommends the adoption of a new required assessment of
pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge—the edTPA—for all
initial licensure candidates by January 2019. The proposed policy
requires all candidates for licensure to submit qualifying scores
on the edTPA. The Department of Education recommended acceptance
of this item on first reading. The TN State Board of Education
staff concurred with this recommendation.
The Education Teacher Performance Assessment, or edTPA, is
a nationally-available, subject-specific performance assessment
that focuses on student learning and principles from research
and theory. The edTPA is designed to be educative for candidates,
preparation programs and policy makers. Eight Educator Preparation
Providers have implemented the edTPA, including Austin
Peay State University, East TN State University, Middle TN State
University, TN State University, TN Tech University, the University
of Memphis, the University of TN, Knoxville, and Vanderbilt
University.
The Teacher Preparation and Licensure Subcommittee of the
State Board of Education met on August 12, 2016 for a second
reading of “Professional Assessments Policy 5.105.” Much of
the discussion centered on some challenges to implementation,
such as the timeline for implementation, the significant time required
for teacher candidates to complete the assessment, the cost
($300), and faculty training.

Compe
Your Future
Performance, Education,
Jazz Studies
● Bachelor of Music in
Music Education
(Five-year program)
● Bachelor of Music in
Performance
(Four-year program)
● Bachelor of Music in
Jazz Studies
(Four-year program)
Complete information
can be found on the
ETSU Department of
Music website under
“Degree Programs.”
www.etsu.edu/music
Department of Music
Department of Music
PO Box 70661
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
423-439-4276
36 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

TMEA STATE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Lisa Leopold
If teachers can begin to recognize the ubiquitous
nature of technology in the music we listen to, I
think we will begin to teach differently. Especially
considering the musical heritage of our state, there
is no excuse for students leaving our programs with
no basic music technology skills.
JUST FOR FUN, I googled “Tennessee music” to see what
would come up. First, of course, is a Wikipedia entry telling us
the legend of music in Tennessee as three stories: Nashville
becoming Music City USA, Bristol as the birthplace of country
music, and Memphis’ tremendous impact on blues, rock and
roll, and soul. The second site was TN.gov and the newly proposed
fine arts standards. I think this matters. I’ll save the specifics of
how I think music technology can be used to help meet the new
music standards for the next column, but for now I’d simply like
to make the point that Tennessee’s rich music history is inextricably
linked to music technology, and we can use this as a lesson
to make our implementation of the new standards relevant to the
real world.
Technology first came into the music world with the development
of recording in the late 1800’s. Before recording technology,
the primary way people listened to music was by private piano
performances, whether or not the music was intended for keyboard.
What a huge cultural shift to be able to listen to music,
as it was intended to be performed, from all over the world! The
earliest settlers of Bristol brought instruments and began playing
music that would eventually shape what we call Country Music,
but it wasn’t until 1927, when Ralph Peer showed up with his
portable electronic recording equipment, that this style of music
became relevant outside of its context. The same story holds true
for Memphis and Nashville. Great music was already happening,
but recording it made it important. The recording industry isn’t
just a passive player in the music game. Music isn’t only recorded,
it is altered before we get to hear it. Every recording, whether a
Symphony Orchestra or a Hip Hop album, has been engineered in
some way, even if only by where the mics are placed and where the
volume is set.
If teachers can begin to recognize the ubiquitous nature of technology
in the music we listen to, I think we will begin to teach differently.
Especially considering the musical heritage of our state,
there is no excuse for students leaving our programs with no basic
music technology skills. So, as we begin another great school year,
I encourage you to try something new. Depending on your context,
that could mean almost anything! Take students to visit a Sun Studio,
or the Country Music Hall of Fame. Bring in a local recording
artist to speak, or visit a radio station. Go to your local music venue
and watch the guy that runs the sound board, or better yet, ask
that guy to come to your school and teach your students how to
run your sound board. Record a band concert using a few different
mics or cameras and see what you like and don’t like about each
one. Then do the same for a choir concert and see if it changes.
Let’s allow students to take a deep dive into what goes into creating
music from beginning to end.
The introduction to the proposed standards says, “Tennessee
has made significant artistic contributions across the national
landscape and Tennessee’s school teachers and leaders will undoubtedly
play an important role in nurturing environments of
creativity and innovation that will lead to even greater contributions.”
We need great performers, and we also need great sound
artists to make sure the performers are heard! Have a great school
year, and as always, please contact me if you would like to talk
about beginning or expanding your music technology offerings.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 37

SOCIETY FOR MUSIC TEACHER EDUCATION/RESEARCH CHAIR’S MESSAGE
by Jamila L. McWhirter, Ph. D.
YOU MAY NOTICE that I am now
serving in two capacities. Dr. William
Lee has served TMEA as the
Research Chair for many years.
He has decided to no longer serve in that
capacity. I am very grateful for his vision
and service to TMEA. When I arrived in
Tennessee twelve years ago, Bill was one
of the first to make me feel right at home.
We have had numerous discussions about
music education research and how to improve
music education research exposure
in the state of Tennessee. I want to thank
Bill for all he has established through this
position. I am honored to follow his tenure.
By the time you read this, Tennessee will
have held its first TN SMTE Symposium
on the campus of MTSU on September 17,
2016. I look forward to sharing the events
of the day with you in the next publication
of the Tennessee Musician. At the time of
printing, we are looking forward to a great
day with Dr. Linda Thompson delivering
the Keynote Address.
Also, on the research side, I hope to
have the proposal submission process for
TMEA on the TMEA website in the near
future. My goal is to have this available in
plenty of time for juried proposal submissions
for both those in and out of the state
of Tennessee. In recent years, we have begun
to see those from neighboring states
participate in the TMEA Research Poster
Session. I will do my best to see that this
trend continues. Graduate research is always
welcome. I am also currently investigating
if it is a possibility to include a
session for undergraduate research at the
conference as well. I would like to see the
addition of poster abstracts included both
online, possibly on the TMEA app, and perhaps
in print. My hope is to also see more
research printed in the Tennessee Musician.
More information on that process
coming soon.
I have found that many in our membership
do not fully understand the two societies
associated with NAfME. I would like
to take a moment to clarify, so that we may
possibly see more members who wish to
become involved in SMTE and SRME.
SMTE is the Society for Music Teacher
Education. SRME is the Society for Research
in Music Education. They share
several common areas, but the purposes
of each are different. SMTE has a primary
focus of music teacher education. It is
specifically designed for those who are
currently teaching or interested in teaching
future music teachers in other words,
music teacher educators. SMTE is a working
organization that is divided into areas
of interest called Areas for Strategic Planning
and Action (ASPAs), the purpose of
these groups is to develop and implement
action plans related to current critical issues
in music teacher education. SMTE
members identify with one or more ASPAs,
contribute via the web-based discussion
forums, and participate in ASPA projects.
The national symposiums bring together
those in higher education who teach future
teachers, doctoral students who are pursuing
degrees in music education, music
education supervisors of both private and
public school districts, and others who are
concerned about matters concerning music
teacher education.
SRME is the Society for Research in Music
Education. SRME seeks to encourage
and improve the quality of scholarship and
research within the music education profession.
SRME consists of all subscribers
of the Journal of Research in Music Education
(JRME). Members are encouraged to
participate in one or more Special Research
Interest Group (SRIG). These SRIG subsets
consist of numerous areas in music education.
There are those related to music teacher
education, but this is just a small portion
of the research focus within SRME. The research
interests are varied and broad. The
type of research completed is very applicable
to the ins and outs of everyday teaching.
For example, answering the questions of
which choral sight-reading method is the
most successful and how much does conductor
magnitude contribute to ensemble
performance success? So although there is
overlap between the two societies, there is a
difference in focus and mission.
Looking ahead, the next national SMTE
Symposium will be held September 14 –
16, 2017 on the campus of the University
of North Carolina – Greensboro. I am very
excited that a cherished friend and former
Missouri colleague, Brett Nolker will be
the host. The call for proposals are due no
later than April 17, 2017. Registration for
the symposium will be available beginning
June 1, 2017, with the early bird registration
deadline of August 1, 2017.
SMTE has also recently released a statement
on high stakes evaluation in pre-service
music teacher education. If you are a
music teacher educator, serve as a mentor
teacher to student teaching candidates or
have concerns regarding pre-service teaching
assessment tests such as the EdTPA
and Praxis II, I encourage you to visit the
SMTE website and read the position statement.
It is located at www.smte.us.
I am looking forward to a great year in
music teacher education and music education
research in the state of Tennessee.
SMTE has also recently released a
statement on high stakes evaluation
in pre-service music teacher
education. If you are a music teacher
educator, serve as a mentor teacher
to student teaching candidates or
have concerns regarding pre-service
teaching assessment tests such as
the EdTPA and Praxis II, I encourage
you to visit the SMTE website and
read the position statement.
38 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

TENNESSEE MUSICIAN ADVERTISER INDEX | VOLUME 69, No. 1
A very special
thank you to all
of our advertisers
who support the
work of music
educators at all
levels in the State
of Tennessee.
ADVERTISER
Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music 9
Belmont University 23
Carson Newman College 3
East Tennessee State University 36
Lee University
Inside Front Cover
Middle Tennessee State University 5
NAMM Foundation 11
Slate Group
Back Cover
Smoky Mountain Music Festival 7
Tennessee State University 18
Union University 4
University of Memphis 19
University of Tennessee at Knoxville Bands 30
University of Tennessee at Knoxville School of Music 24
University of Tennessee at Martin
Inside Back Cover
Yamaha Corporation of America 29
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 39

TMEA BACK THEN
• A proposed amendment to the TMEA
constitution was approved by all six
divisional organizations which would
automatically grant the Tennessee
Department of Education Supervisor
of Fine Arts a position as a voting board
member of TMEA. William Graves was
appointed to the position.
• An article titled “Elementary Music: Its
Implementation” was written by William
Graves, who at the time served as the
supervisor of fine arts for the Tennessee
State Department of Education and was
appointed to the TMEA Board of Directors
in 1962. The article is fascinating, simply
as a historical document that cited
recommendations dating back as early
as 1948 that “every school should have an
organized program of art and music and
should include these as integral parts of
the regular school program.”
• Concert cellist Martha McCrory was
appointed as a director of the six-year
old Sewanee Summer Music Center and
as an assistant professor of music at the
University of the South. McCrory was a
graduate of the University of Michigan and
the Eastman School of Music. McCrory
served in this position until her retirement
in 1998.
• Vanderbilt University reported in a
press release of the expansion of its
band program. It was reported that the
expansion was collaboration between
Vanderbilt University, Peabody College,
and Scarritt College. According to the press
release, the marching band program had
been struggling for years. In the fall of 1962
they received new uniforms, instruments,
and rehearsal facilities. The marching
band was an all-male organization that
numbered sixty members, with the hope
to increase membership to 100 members
in the next year. Henry Romersa was
the newly appointed director of the band
program with William Henry Clarke
serving as the assistant director of bands.
• MTSC Sponsors Marching Contest – On
October 27, 1962 twenty-two high school
bands from Tennessee, Georgia, and
Alabama participated in the First Annual
Open Competition Marching Contest.
The contest was held at Middle Tennessee
State College (now Middle Tennessee
State University) and was sponsored
by the college music department and
directed by Joseph T. Smith, director of
the MTSC “Band of Blue.” This contest
would eventually become the Contest
of Champions now in its 55th year.
Chattanooga City High School Band under
the direction of J.S. Tilson was named
as the first place winner of this inaugural
contest and Melville Kelly, director of
Elizabethton High School Band was named
as the second place winner.
THE TENNESSEE MUSICIAN (DEC. 1962)
Volume 25, No. 4 – 16 pgs.
O’Dell Willis, TMEA President
Carolyn M. Scruggs, Editor
40 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2016 | Volume 69, No. 1

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