TN Musician Vol. 70 No. 1

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Music Education Association
Creating a
Practice Culture
by Colin Hill
p. 28
This is How
We Do it Here:
Establishing
a Positive,
Successful
Culture in Your
Music Program
by DeLaine Chapman
p. 34
Starting a Tri-M Music
Honor Society:
An Interview with
Jonathan Schoepflin
by Anna Laura Williams
p.38
VOLUME 70, NO. 1

MUSIC
MUSIC WITH PURPOSE
A Christ-centered university in southeast
Tennessee with faculty, curriculum, facilities,
and opportunities to prepare you for your
goals as tomorrow’s musician.
Audition Dates:
NOV. | JAN. | FEB. | MAR. | APR.
LEEUNIVERSITY.edu/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-Smith
Pre-Production Editor
Contributing Editors
Matthew Clark
Doug Phillips
Carol King-Chipman
Jerome Souther
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Graphic Design
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Account Executive
All editorial materials should be sent to: Michael Chester, Managing
Editor (615-873-0605) E-mail: editor@tnmea.org.
Submit materials by e-mail in Microsoft Word format.
Advertising: Information requests and ad orders should be
directed to: Michael Chester, Managing Editor (615-
873-0605) e-mail: editor@tnmea.org. All advertising
information is on the TMEA web site, www.tnmea.org.
Deadlines for advertisement orders and editorial materials:
Issue No. 1 – Deadline: September 15 (in home delivery
date October 15); Issue No. 2 – Deadline: November 15
(in home delivery date December 15); Issue No. 3 – Deadline:
February 15 (in home delivery date March 15); Issue
No. 4 – Deadline: April 15 (in home delivery date May 15)
Tennessee Musician is copyrighted. Reproduction in
any form is illegal without the express permission of
the editor.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tennessee Musician,
c/o National Association for Music Education
(NAfME), 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA
20191-4348.
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at Lubbock, Texas. ISSN Number 0400-3332; EIN
number 20-3325550
TABLE OF CONTENTS | 2017 | VOLUME 70, NO. 1
Prelude - A Message from the Editor 4
Michael Chester
TMEA Executive Director’s Message 6
Ron Meers
TMEA President’s Message 8
Johnathan Vest, Ed. D.
TMEA – By the Numbers/Verbatim 10
Matthew Clark
COLUMNS
TMEA State General Music Chair’s Message 13
Linzie Mullins
TMEA State Choral Chair’s Message 14
W. Fitzgerald Patton
TMEA State Orchestra Chair’s Message 16
Michelle Clupper
TMEA State Band Chair’s Message 19
David Chipman
TMEA State Higher Education Chair’s Message 20
Ryan Fisher, Ph. D.
TMEA State Collegiate NAfME Chair’s Message 23
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall, Ed. D.
TMEA Society for Music Teacher Education/
Research Chair’s Message 24
Jamilla McWhirter, Ph. D.
TMEA Advocacy and Government Relations
Chair’s Message 27
Christopher Dye, Ed. D.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Creating a Practice Culture 28
Colin Hill, DMA
This is How We Do It Here: Establishing a Positive
Successful Culture in Your Music Program 34
DaLaine Chapman, Ph. D.
Starting a Tri-M Music Honor Society: An Interview with
Jonathan Schoepflin 38
Anna Laura Williams
Tennessee Musician Advertiser Index 43
TMEA Back Then 44

TMEA BOARD AND COUNCIL
TMEA OFFICERS 2017-2018
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:
Frances Miller
fmiller@millingtonschools.org
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
MTVA PRESIDENT:
Michael Choate
choatem@pcsstn.com
MTVA PRESIDENT ELECT:
Lia Holland
liaholland@mtcscougars.net
TMEA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Lafe Cook
pres-elect@tnmea.org
2 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, 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:
John Womack
webmaster@tnmea.com
TMEA PUBLICATIONS EDITOR AND
ADVERTISING MANAGER:
Michael Chester
editor@tnmea.org
TMEA PUBLICATIONS ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Justin Scott
justin.scott@tcsedu.net
TMEA ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS CHAIR:
Christopher Dye, Ed. D.
christopher.dye@mtsu.edu
MTSBOA PRESIDENT:
Debbie Burton
dlburton98@gmail.com
MTSBOA PRESIDENT-ELECT:
Justin Scott
justin.scott@tcsedu.net
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:
Lauren Ramey
lauren.ramey@wcs.edu
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:
Andy Smith
andy.smith@sumnerschools.org
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, Ph. D.
richard.ripani@mnps.org
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
TN ALL-STATE INSTRUMENTAL
GENERAL CHAIR:
Todd Shipley
allstateinstrumental@tnmea.org
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:
John Womack
webmaster@tnmea.org
TMEA TRI-M CHAIR:
Anna Laura Williams
anna.laura.williams@outlook.com
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

Compose Your Future
www.etsu.edu/music
www.Facebook.com/ETSUMusic
@GoETSUMusic
ETSU Music Days:
Open House and Auditions for Fall 2018 Enrollment
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
• Bachelor of Music Degrees in
Performance, Education, and Jazz
• Nationally recognized classical
and contemporary ensembles
• Competitive scholarships based
on audition
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Saturday, March 31, 2018
(Vocal Only)

PRELUDE - A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Michael Chester
I
WAS DRIVING TO ANOTHER LAVISH
social soirée one early evening this past
summer. In thinking about who would
attend and whether or not I should catch
a podcast of The Dinner Party Download, I
was also preparing my mind for my upcoming
trip to Washington D.C. to attend the
NAfME Hill Day and National Leadership
Assembly. As is the case with the mindless
drive that is westbound I-24, my mind
started to zone out, which is a common
occurrence when being stuck in Nashville
traffic. As I approached the off-ramp to my
exit, I was once again stuck in traffic and remained
on the off-ramp for at least 15 minutes.
I’m not sure if there was an issue with
the traffic light timing signal or people just
on their phones not paying attention to the
light. Since I was essentially parked on the
off-ramp for some time, I noticed that there
happened to be a small two-person roadside
attraction. The two gentlemen in question
were approaching cars and were receiving
various denominations of currency. They
were not performing, nor were they selling
anything. A modest cardboard sign that read
“Need Money . . . Every Little Bit Helps.”
They did not appear to be disheveled nor
did they fit any pre-conceived stereotype
of a beggar or someone who appeared to
be homeless. There seemed to be no shortage
of perfect strangers handing out loose
floorboard change. I watched, with rather
mixed emotions, this exchange take place
for the several minutes that I was stuck
on the ramp. I couldn’t help but think that
these two seemed to have something going
on here. As a side note, I want to make sure
that we are all on the same page here. There
is nothing funny about people in need, unemployment,
or homelessness for that matter.
Whatever my assumption about the two
gentlemen, their motives, and their true intentions
are irrelevant. The two gentlemen
found a solution to their problem, found a
prime location, and found a way to connect
with an audience who in turn, appeared to
be sympathetic to their cause.
In processing all of this, and in thinking
about my trip to Washington, D.C., I began
to think about where we are with the implementation
of ESSA and the funding for Title
I-A, Title II-A, and Title IV-A, respectively.
At this point it seems safe to say that there
may be a few nickels and dimes spent on
these appropriations, but nowhere near the
basic level that was intended to fund these
programs. So now it begs the question–where
do we stand? Perhaps more to the point is a
question of what do we do now?
Music educators
are the only
people who
can adequately
present the need,
justification, and
benefits of a wellfunded
and wellsupported
music
program.
For many years, or perhaps since the genesis
of music education in America (aka the
Lowell Mason years), it stands to reason that
music educators have managed to find every
conceivable workaround when it comes to
funding their music programs. As music educators,
we are truly the only spokespeople
who can truly advocate the needs of the students
we teach, on a local level. Music educators
are the only people who can adequately
present the need, justification, and benefits
of a well-funded and well-supported music
program. What actions, if extreme, should we
take to get the attention of those who exude
power and influence and who make decisions
on behalf of the electorate?
I’m not sure of the answer to this. However,
it occurred to me that perhaps music educators
could have more success and more of
an audience in today’s climate of viral social
media if we all took to the streets and started
begging people for money. Would our signs
read “music teacher desperately needs money
to buy sheet music–every little bit helps!”
I know that this seems like an absurd option,
perhaps even offensive. However, as it would
seem, about a week later I came across a report
on the wires of a teacher engaging in this
very behavior.
“Oklahoma teacher panhandles to raise
money for school supplies.” That was the
headline that started to get some traction. I
would imagine that many of you heard about
this through social media. To summarize,
Teresa Danks, a school teacher from Oklahoma
was tired of having to pay for supplies
out her pocket. Her husband jokingly suggested
that she panhandle for money to fund
her supplies budget. She did just that. Danks
did not realize that it would catch the attention
of the media, who took the story and ran
with it. Later appearances on Good Morning
America and $13,000.00 later in revenue
raised through GoFundMe gave Danks her
15 minutes of fame. While there are parts of
this that make a bad situation into a feel-good
4 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Music teachers
desperately need
money to buy sheet
music–every little
bit helps!
news story, the fact remains that the lack of
funding for basic supplies, materials, and
professional development resources has become
the reality that many educators face.
Does it take all of us begging for money on
the street corner to get the attention of our
political leaders? Sadly, in my opinion, I don’t
know that it would matter. In fact, I’m willing
to bet that many teachers would just get fed
up enough and choose to leave the profession
rather than panhandle in the streets. Can we
blame them for that choice? Can you put a
price on dignity?
The passage of ESSA now makes it possible
for the states and LEA’s to have more of
a say in what controls and monies are spent
and on what. None of it matters if there isn’t
enough money allocated by Congress to fully
fund educational priorities. Any monies that
are made available are going to come in the
form of competitive block grants. Now this
means that some districts that have the resources
to write these grants will win, while
more rural LEA’s will lose out on desperately
needed funds. More importantly, it means
that the students will ultimately lose.
So at this point, what do we do? Certainly,
being aware is the first step. If, as the saying
attributed to Tip O’Neill, “All politics is local”
then perhaps it’s time to start paying attention.
TMEA has certainly made the right
steps by engaging with most of the regionally
affiliated organizations by contracting with a
lobbyist. A unique aspect of this relationship
is getting the summaries of proposed, pending,
and current legislative agendas and being
able to identify problems before they make it
to the floor. If you should get an email from
TMEA asking you to make contact with your
local elected officials, please take a moment
to do so. We must remain hyper-vigilant if
we are to have a seat at the table. As the new
special interest kid on the block, time will
certainly tell if we are successful in creating
a presence and a working relationship with
our state legislative officials.
Michael Chester, Managing Editor
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 5

TMEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Ron Meers
We have been concerned that as a professional
organization, TMEA has been without a home
(office) for the past 70 years. I hope we share a
goal to change this situation.
I
HOPE ALL OF YOU HAD A RESTFUL
SUMMER and your new year is off to
a great beginning! TMEA appreciates
your continued support of music education
in Tennessee! It is truly a TEAM effort to
provide the BEST experience for our music
teachers and students.
The TMEA budget reports are always
available on the tnmea.org website. Please
contact me or any TMEA Board member
with any questions or concerns.
Once again, special thanks goes to Brad
Turner and Paul Waters for your dedication
and the work you do to make our conference
successful! In addition, I hope all
of our members remember that without
dedicated Conference equipment chairs,
our Conference and All-State would not
take place! THANK YOU to Ben Zolkower,
Frank Zimmerer, Kevin Jankowski, Jordan
Frederick, Keegan Paluso, Jeff Moore, and
Doug Young. AMAZING JOB! If you haven’t
expressed your appreciation to these
individuals, please do, it’s never too late!
Thanks to EVERYONE who works to
provide a fantastic music experience for our
teachers and students in Tennessee! Our
Conference Management Team is listed under
“About”/”Board-Council” on the website!
Special thanks to John Womack our
New TMEA Webmaster who is doing an
outstanding job!
As you know, we are in our second year of
the unified membership dues renewal process.
There have been some bumps along
the way but we expect a much smoother
process this year. Please notify me if you
have not received your NAfME membership
card within six weeks of your dues
payment. After paying your dues, please
login to your NAfME account and update
your information!
TMEA and four regional associations
have moved forward and have hired a
full time lobbyist for music education in
Tennessee. TMEA’s share of that expense
came to $8,529.00. Four regional associations
(WTVMEA, WTSBOA, ETSBOA,
and MTSBOA) contributed to the Advocacy
fund, as did our music business
partner, NAMM. TMEA appreciates the
support for this very important endeavor!
We have been concerned that as a professional
organization, TMEA has been
without a home (office) for the past 70
years. I hope we share a goal to change
this situation. We now have a dedicated
phone line for TMEA business (615-784-
8632). This fall we will begin the process
of searching for and renting property for
a TMEA office starting Jan. 1st, 2018. After
office space is secured, we will proceed
with hiring another TMEA staff member,
on a part time basis for approximately six
months each year, finances permitting.
PLEASE REMEMBER:
1. Please participate in the hotel housing
advanced payment program! We had
several members in hotel registration
line for 2 to 3 hours in 2017. The
advanced housing payment option we
had in Memphis and Opryland made
check-in much faster. Very few of our
members participated this last year
and you know what happened.
2. FYI- It appears there have been some
changes in state policies regarding
Professional Development credit
during the school day. The interpretation
of the policy is left up to the
local school district. Teachers in
each county should reach out to their
school board about the possibility of
getting PD credit for attending sessions
during the school day at TMEA
in April! At least two East Tennessee
counties are now allowing PD credit
for in-service activities during the
school day. More information will
be made available on this important
topic as soon as possible.
3. More information coming soon about
a new Arts Advocacy Coalition in
Tennessee.
4. Be sure your parent support group is
registered on the tnmea.org website so
our advocacy efforts can be coordinated
for maximum impact!
5. Plan to attend NAfME In-service
Conference, November 12th – 15th, at
the Gaylord Texan Hotel, Dallas, TX
6. The TMEA Discount Meal Cards will
be available on the TMEA website this
year beginning Feb. 1st. Total sales for
2017 was $31,600. Please support this
effort. The sale of meal cards counts
toward our $50,000 food and beverage
contract agreement with Opryland
(and keeps us from incurring substantial
penalties).
7. Gaylord Opryland Reservations will
open on February 1st on the TMEA
Website. Gaylord Opryland Reservation
Cut-off date, March 21st, 2018.
(Please make your reservations before
March 21st and cancel any rooms not
needed BEFORE March 21st.
8. Plan to attend the TMEA Professional
Development Conference, April 11th
– 14th, 2018, Opryland Hotel and Convention
Center.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR
MUSIC EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE!
6 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

What can you do with
a UTC music degree?
Proud to
introduce
CRAIG DAVIS
as our new
Director of
Bands
Call (423) 425-4111 or visit UTC.edu/music
UTC is a comprehensive, community-engaged campus of the UT System.
UTC is an EEO/AA/Titles VI & IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution.

TMEA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Johnathan Vest, Ed. D.
As I enter my second and final year as
TMEA President, I know that we still have
problems and challenges that lie ahead.
SCHOOL DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!
As hard as it is to get back in the
“teaching groove,” it is always made
easier with students who are eager
and willing to learn and make music
together. Their enthusiasm for learning always
makes the challenging times just a bit
easier.
Some great things happened in our association
this summer. I, along with several board
members, had the privilege of attending the
NAfME Leadership Conference in late June.
The focus at this year’s conference was equity
and access. Please let us know how TMEA
can help you in ensuring that ALL students
have equal access to music education.
The TMEA Council also met in August
at the Country Music Association (CMA)
offices in Nashville. Special thanks to CMA
Outreach Director Tiffany Kearns for being
such a gracious host. We are excited about
our growing partnership with CMA—more
on that soon.
I know there are some days that I wish
my job (and life) would just stop throwing
problems my way for me to solve. But then
I’m reminded that solving problems is what
leaders (and teachers) do. It’s actually WHY
we do what we do. Problems (and the ability
to solve them) are characteristics of an effective
teacher and leader. The most enjoyable
problems are the musical ones related to our
curriculum that we help our students solve!
As I enter my second and final year as
TMEA President, I know that we still have
problems and challenges that lie ahead. We
have new state music standards rolling out
next year that may have some impact on how
and what we teach. We have a growing membership
with varied interests and needs, as
well as a growing TMEA Professional Development
Conference. I know that together
we can meet these challenges head-on. I’m
thankful for all of our regional association
officers that work so hard every day to make
sure these organizations remain effective and
provide wonderful musical experiences for
our students across the state.
HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR, AND I’LL BE
SEEING YOU ALL SOON!
Belmont’s School of Music is a place where you can fully develop your talent and see how far it can take you.
To join our creative community and explore your artistry, visit BELMONT.EDU/CREATIVECOMMUNITY.
AUDITION DATES FOR ADMISSION FALL 2018
UNDERGRADUATE: 10.28.17 • 11.11.17 • 1.13.18 • 1.27.18 • 2.10.18
GRADUATE: 11.11.17 • 1.19.18 • 2.9.18 • 2.23.18
8 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Photo Credit: Rob Davidson
Get the National Recognition
Your Music Program Deserves!
Apply to be designated by
The NAMM Foundation as a
Best Community for Music
Education (BCME) program
The 2018 BCME Survey
is open from
October 17–January 31
“Being named a BCME was the catalyst for us to gain an
expanded music education budget, all while increasing
community visibility and support. It was a wonderful
recognition of the efforts of our music staff to provide
the highest quality of music education possible and
further provided validation of the quality of
programs we provide for our students.”
-LONNIE STOVER, SUPERVISOR OF MUSIC AT
SYCAMORE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS IN CINCINNATI, OHIO
Stay Connected
Sign up to receive
The NAMM Foundation monthly
newsletter to receive updates on
Talking Up Music Education podcast
episodes, community events,
music making opportunities, and
educational downloads.
Music Education Days at
The 2018 NAMM Show
Music educators are eligible to attend
The 2018 NAMM Show to participate in
informative sessions; to experience inspiring
performances; and to preview the latest
instruments, products and tools relevant
to today’s music classrooms.
Be part of The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation provides grants,
supports research and engages in advocacy
to support music making across the
lifespan. Learn how you can be part of
our mission to ensure access to
music education for all at
nammfoundation.org/get-involved.
VISIT NAMMFOUNDATION.ORG/BCME TO LEARN MORE AND TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 9

BY THE NUMBERS: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MUSIC EDUCATION
Matthew Clark
Jobs in the arts
generate an estimated
$37 billion
with a return of
$3.4 billion
in federal income tax
TENNESSEE’S
nonprofit & culture
industry generates
$1.17 billion
in annual economic activity
38,482
837.8
MILLION DOLLARS
in household income
supporting
and generating
&
FULL-TIME
EQUIVALENT
JOBS
135.9
MILLION DOLLARS
in local and state
government revenues
10 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Students who study music are found to have the
following traits which result in increased economic
success throughout life:
• Higher rates of graduation
• Increased general academic success
• Double the rate of college admission
• Better career viability
• Heightened abilities to work with
others successfully
• Good citizenship/lower
incarceration rates
According to
, the top five skills employers
value in a new hire are universal skills taught by
involvement in many musical organizations:
1. Ability to work in a team
2. Ability to make decisions and
solve problems
3. Ability to plan, organize and
prioritize work
4. Ability to communicate verbally with
people inside and outside an organization
5. Ability to obtain and process information
VERBATIM
“The arts are an economic plus—second
only to aerospace as our most lucrative
national export.”
–Michael Greene of The National Academy
of Recording Arts and Sciences
“A grounding in the arts will help our
children to see; to bring a uniquely human
perspective to science and technology. In
short, it will help them as they grow smarter
to also grow wiser.
–Robert E. Allen, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, AT&T Corporation
“The arts enrich communities and
employees, and also stimulate the kind of
intellectual curiosity our company needs to
stay competitive.”
–Norma R. Augustine, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, Martin Marietta
Corporation
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 11

TMEA STATE GENERAL MUSIC CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Linzie Mullins
HELLO TO THE BEST GENERAL MU-
SIC EDUCATORS IN THE STATE!
I hope that you all had a restful
summer and had a chance to recharge
your batteries for this year.
For those who I have not yet met,
my name is Linzie Mullins, and I am here to
help you find good professional development,
support you in your classroom, and provide
a wonderful set of presenters at the conference!
I am happy to say that this year, the
conference will be one of the best yet!
I will talk more about the conference in issue
no. 3 of the Tennessee Musician later this
year, but please mark your calendars for April
11-14! You will not want to miss learning from
Miss Carole from Macaroni Soup, Dancing
Drum, and John Feierabend. Need help getting
there? Be sure to check out the General
Music page on the TMEA website located under
the “Conference” tab. I have and will continue
to post helpful resources for you.
Also, I have started a General Music teacher
spotlight on our General Music web-page.
If you know of an amazing teacher that is a
member of TMEA, please send me their information.
I want to use this platform as a
way to learn and collaborate with teachers
across the state. Then, when we all come to
the conference together, we will know more
about the teachers we are learning with.
One more thing about the conference – a
new way to get involved! One session this
year will be our General Music Poster Session.
If you have ever been too nervous or
overwhelmed to present a full hour session,
or need a good reason to get to the conference,
this is it! We will have a room of tables
set up, almost like a science fair, and you
will share one lesson that you adore in your
classroom. You will set up a foam presentation
board and have whatever manipulatives
you need to present your lesson to teachers
that come to your table. Also, please print
100 lesson plans to pass out. My goal is for
every teacher that walks into this session to
leave with at least ten lesson plans, if not,
more! Please register to present at the poster
session on the general music page on the
TMEA website.
I have been teaching at Shelby County
Schools’ Superintendent’s Summer Learning
Academy this summer, and it has been
so fun getting to know students from different
schools, but to also try out new ideas on
a smaller scale. I also love any opportunity
to add technology to my classroom. Something
that the students have really enjoyed
is Kahoot! I have mentioned this web-based
application to other teachers and was surprised
when I found out they did not know
what it was! It is a fun, fast, and easy way to
assess the students and also gives a competitive
spin on it as well. My favorite type of Kahoot!
is to make is the quizzes. The question
pops up on the screen, and the timer starts.
The students have to hit the answer on their
cell phone, laptop, tablet, etc. and the person
who gets it right the fastest earns the most
points for that question. You can create your
own quizzes or use one that has already been
made. This summer we played Kahoot! to
review the different types of notes and rests,
line and space notes, different types of instruments,
and so much more. The possibilities
are endless!
I hope you all have a great year, and I am
really looking forward to meeting you all at
the conference!
YOU WILL NOT
WANT TO MISS
LEARNING
FROM MISS
CAROLE FROM
MACARONI
SOUP, DANCING
DRUM,
AND JOHN
FEIERABEND.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 13

TMEA STATE CHORAL CHAIR’S MESSAGE
W. Fitzgerald Patton
At our vocal
caucus in
April, one of
the first things
we discussed
was uniformity
in the audition
process.
CHORAL MUSIC EDUCATORS,
it is my hope that your year is off to a
successful start! I firmly believe that
we 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.
To reflect, my first year as state choral
chair was definitely a learning experience.
After serving one year, I feel that I am better
prepared to serve you this year; but sadly, this
will be my last year since my term expires in
June. It was a privilege to meet you all at the
vocal caucus last April. I am confident there
were about 70 choral directors in attendance
from all over the state of Tennessee. We introduced
ourselves, I gave a vocal report, and
we discussed many issues. I have updates for
several issues as well as some new business
to discuss.
Before I dive into the various topics, I
want to take a moment and thank everyone
who attended the 2017 TMEA Conference.
A lot of hard work by many people contributed
to the success of our conference. We
had wonderful sessions, a better performance
venue, and we were able to meet our
contractual agreements with Opryland Hotel.
With the next conference in 2018, let me
again encourage you to support TMEA and
book your rooms at Gaylord Opryland Hotel
so that we can continue to reap the benefits
of having the Presidential Ballroom for our
all-state performances.
At our vocal caucus in April, one of the
first things we discussed was uniformity in
the audition process. Currently, Middle Tennessee
is the only region that does blind allstate/mid-state
auditions. West and East are
in the process of discussing and perhaps implementing
blind auditions. Blind auditions
allow the focus to be solely on the voice. Having
all three regions unified in this process
will ensure that we have the best singers for
the all-state/mid-state choirs.
The new Tennessee music education
standards will be implemented during the
2018-2019 school year. During the 2017-
2018 school year, music educators are being
introduced to the standards. Not a great deal
has changed with the new standards. You will
essentially teach the same thing, but the way
in which you teach should line up with the
new standards. The four domains with the
new standards are perform, create, respond,
and connect. Within each domain are foun-
14 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

dations, and within each foundation are the
teaching standards. I personally have been
to several workshops in order to better familiarize
myself with these new standards.
I know there will be several sessions on the
new standards at our annual conference in
April. I encourage you to start planning now
to acquaint yourself with these standards.
So, take time to familiarize yourself with the
standards, ask questions, and perhaps begin
thinking about possible lesson plans. Again,
TMEA has some great sessions planned to
help you. Speaking of sessions, do not forget
to submit a proposal to TMEA if you would
like to present at the April 2018 TMEA conference.
The deadline is coming up soon. For
more information, go to www.tnmea.org.
Another topic discussed at our caucus was
the all-state/mid-state second tier audition.
We were all in agreement that each region
executes this process differently—we are not
unified. There is currently a committee of
about four to six individuals working on assessing
ways we can both unify and improve
this process. Bottom line is we want students
to be prepared, but at the same time, we want
the process to be both fair and consistent
throughout the regions. We want the process
to accurately measure if students are prepared
for all-state. I want to thank Dr. Brian
Russell, choral director from Stewarts Creek
High School for heading this committee and
thank those choral directors who are serving
on the committee. I am confident he will have
more information for us at the next caucus.
Now on to a few items of new business that
I feel will evoke lots of interest at this year’s
caucus. In the Middle Tennessee region we
will allow freshmen boys to audition as sopranos
for the first time ever. This was brought
to my attention recently by a Middle Tennessee
director. Many pre-adolescent boys’
voices have not fully developed into the tenor
or baritone range. Many of these young men
can still sing very comfortably in the soprano
range. TMEA fully supports freshmen boys
who want to audition for the SATB choir as sopranos
at your regional level event. We do not
want to discourage these young men or make
them feel like something is wrong with their
voice. Again, I know this will be a topic of great
interest. But it’s important for you to know
that TMEA supports these young singers.
Finally, there has been lots of discussion
about whether freshmen should be allowed
to audition for the all-state choirs. Currently,
I believe that freshmen are allowed to audition
for the NAfME National Honor Choir,
yet they cannot audition for the Tennessee
All-State Chorus. As state choral chair, I have
mixed feelings on freshmen eligibility. However,
I am open to discussion. I am in the process
of creating a survey to get more feedback
on how the membership stands on this issue.
In closing, 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. Let me know
things you’d like to see at our conference.
Do not forget to submit a proposal to TMEA
if you would like to present at the April 2018
TMEA conference. I want to leave you with
a few reminders and dates. The 2018 TMEA
Conference is April 11 – 14 at Gaylord Opryland
Hotel in Nashville, TN. Other important
dates include the NAfME National
In-service Conference in Dallas TX. This
year’s conference is November 12 – 15, 2017.
Mark these dates on your calendar. Thank
you for your time.
AGAIN, I WISH YOU A VERY SUCCESS-
FUL SCHOOL YEAR!
D EPARTMENT OF
Music
Clarksville, Tenn.
BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREES
Music Education
Performance (Instrumental, Vocal,
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For Audition Dates and Requests Please Visit
www.apsu.edu/music/auditions
Contact : Department of Music
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THINK MUSIC -- THINK AUSTIN PEAY
www.apsu.edu/music
Austin Peay State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age,
status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs and activities sponsored by APSU.
http://www.apsu.edu/files/policy/5002.pdf
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 15

TMEA STATE ORCHESTRA CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Michelle Clupper
I
HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS OFF TO AN
EXCITING START in this new school
year. I know that I always start the
new school year feeling inspired to try
something new, schedule a new event and
perform new music with my groups. I have
concert dates set, performances outside of
the school building in the works and ideas
for fun activities with my new students.
This year, however, we are all aware that
there are programs outside of the state
that will not be able to continue with their
scheduled plans. Their concert dates, activities
and even basic equipment for class
have been thrown into chaos due to the
recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. I
know that I am not alone in watching the
videos of some of the Houston area schools
that have lost a great deal of their music
and instruments due to flood damage. I
honestly cannot imagine coming into Farragut
High School and seeing the damage
to the facilities that I have seen in these
videos. I encourage all of us in the state
of Tennessee to reach out to one of those
programs and offer any assistance possible.
I know that many of you already have
plans for benefit concerts and fundraisers
to help in the recovery efforts and I know
that your donations will be so appreciated
by the schools impacted by the hurricanes.
Luck’s Music Library has started a You
Caring campaign to help Texas orchestra
directors rebuild their libraries. For every
dollar donated, Luck’s Music Library will
match that donation. You can go to https://
www.lucksmusic.com/c/harveyorchestrafund
to get more information or donate.
At the Summer Board Meeting, I was
so excited to hear about all of the orchestra
programs that were participating in
Concert Performance Assessments and
it occurred to me that it would be great to
be able to publish all of the exciting events
that take place across our state. If your Orchestra
will be attending a festival, hosting
a guest artist, performing with another
group or participating in a community
service event, please email me the details.
I would love to be able to include those
events in the next issue of the Tennessee
Musician. This summer, I also met Anna
Laura Williams, Tri-M Chair for TMEA.
She is encouraging everyone in the state
to consider starting a Tri-M Music Honor
Society Chapter at their school. We have
started one at Farragut and the students
are really excited to see the chapter grow
and make an impact in their school and
community. Details on starting and growing
a chapter can be found at https://www.
musichonors.com/.
As we look forward to this year as a
whole, I wanted to take a moment and
place a couple of details in your mind in
looking toward the spring and the 2018
TMEA Professional Development Conference.
Dr. Rebecca MacLeod, Associate
At the Summer Board Meeting, I was so
excited to hear about all of the orchestra
programs that were participating in
Concert Performance Assessments
Professor of Music Education from the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro,
will conduct the 2018 9th-10th Grade
All-State String Orchestra. Dr. MacLeod
directs the string education program and
conducts the UNCG Sinfonia. Prior to
joining the UNCG faculty, she was the assistant
artistic director and conductor of
the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Chamber
Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra in
Tallahassee, Florida. The 2018 11th-12th
Grade All-State Symphony Orchestra will
be conducted by Jeffrey Grogan. Mr. Grogan
serves as Education and Community
Engagement Conductor of the New Jersey
Symphony Orchestra, conductor and Artistic
Director of the NJSO Youth Orchestras,
the InterSchool Orchestras of New
York and the New Jersey Youth Symphony.
I am so excited for this year’s conference,
and I know that the participating students
will have a very special experience with
the conductors. I know as an educator, I
am looking forward to learning from their
rehearsal techniques and also from the
sessions that will be presented from fellow
educators from across the state. So
many of you have said that you are applying
to present a session and I know that
your presentations, ideas and techniques
will make this a wonderful learning experience.
I would like to encourage all of you
to make plans to attend this year’s conference
and also to stay at the Opryland Hotel
during your stay. The more rooms we book
as a conference, the more facilities we have
access to and the more impactful our conference
will be.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
THERE IN APRIL!
16 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, 69, No. 12

TENNESSEE
U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E N N E S S E E
2018 MARCHING BAND AUDITION DATES
Music Majors and Music Minors
(Woodwind, Brass & Percussion) - February 10 and February 17
Non Music Majors
(Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, & Color Guard) - February 24 and March 3
For more information on how to join The Pride of the Southland Band visit
our website www.utbands.com or call us at 865-974-5031.
Connect with UT Bands
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 17

AUDITION DATES
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Friday, February 16, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
CAREERS IN MUSIC DAY
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
18 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1
• Competitive
scholarships available
• Music ensembles from
symphony to salsa
• 200+ music
events per year
• 8 undergraduate
music programs
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music programs
• Music living/learning
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• 38 full-time and
45 part-time faculty
• University Honors
College courses
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
MTSU Box 47
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
615-898-2469
mtsumusic.com
0917-4544 / Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. See our full policy at mtsu.edu/titleix.

TMEA STATE BAND CHAIR’S MESSAGE
David Chipman
GREETINGS COLLEAGUES! To our
returning and new directors, we
welcome you to a great year of
music education in Tennessee!
As we open the new score of this
school year, take a moment to pause to reflect
on the value of music education to all
students and the responsibility it brings to
the music educator. Classroom instruction,
selecting music, objectives, high standards,
rehearsals, repairing instruments, hauling
equipment, performances, after-school rehearsals,
concerts, parent meetings…this
is just a small snapshot of what we music
teachers do daily for our students because
no one else can!
The 2017 State Concert Festival was a
great success! A sincere THANK YOU to
the 27 ensembles who performed. My gratitude
also goes to Greg Wolynec and John
Schnettler, their Graduate Assistants and
the Austin Peay State University Band Students
for being such wonderful hosts. A special
thank you also goes out to Ms. Jo Ann
Hood for her invaluable help and support.
The 2018 State Concert Festival will be
hosted again by Austin Peay State University.
The dates are April 26 and 27. Online
registration will go live in mid-February.
We are currently working to secure a
world-class judging panel. Please consider
bringing your ensemble.
Changes to the Jazz Auxiliary Percussion
Audition
The following motions were all passed
by the jazz caucus in April and subsequently
by the TMEA board and council
in August:
1. The 8 vibe pieces in the rotation
will be changed to the 4 best pieces.
Educational videos and teaching
materials will be created and provided
to teachers.
2. The following non-melodic percussion
instruments will be included in
the prepared audition pieces: Conga,
Timbales, and other minor accessory
instruments.
3. Auxiliary percussion students
will sight-read on both vibes and
non-melodic instruments. Auxiliary
percussion students will also improvise
on both vibes and non-melodic
instruments.
4. Auxiliary percussion students will
improvise on the vibes, as in previous
auditions, (F Blues and Bb
Rhythm Changes) and they will play
the same grooves that the drum set
players play (on Congas).
Our 2018 All-State Band Conductors will be:
• Mr. Richard Floyd, Texas UIL Music
Director (retired), will conduct the 11-12
All-State Band.
• Mr. Greg Bimm, Director of Bands from
Marian Catholic High School in Illinois,
will conduct the 9-10 All-State Band.
In closing, to our young and newer directors:
please do not hesitate anytime to contact
an experienced director for help. We
are blessed with some of the finest music
educators in the country who are always
willing to assist. You are important and we
want to help!
“The most valuable resource that all teachers
have is each other. Without collaboration,
our growth is limited to our own perspectives”
Robert John Meehan
The 2018
State Concert
Festival will be
hosted again
by Austin
Peay State
University. The
dates are April
26 and 27.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 19

TMEA STATE HIGHER EDUCATION CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Ryan Fisher, Ph. D.
This new academic year also
ushers in teacher licensure
changes in Tennessee.
AS WE USHER IN A NEW ACA-
DEMIC YEAR, I feel it important
to reflect on the successes of the
past. The 2017 TMEA Professional
Development Conference offered
numerous quality interest sessions and the
myriad music performances warmed my
spirit and confirmed my conviction that Tennessee
contains some of the finest young musicians
in the nation. I was especially pleased
with the success of the All-Collegiate Orchestra
under the stellar direction of Jeffrey
Grogan. The numerous chamber ensembles
featured in the “Spotlight Performances”
added a special touch to a successful conference.
Plans are already underway for the
2018 TMEA conference, which will feature
the All-Collegiate Choir under the direction
of Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe of the University
of Southern California. Registration for the
All-Collegiate Choir will begin in January
2018. I also welcome small ensemble directors
and musicians at the elementary, middle,
high, and collegiate levels to participate in
the 2018 TMEA Spotlight Chamber Performances.
Applications for those performance
ensembles will be reviewed in early January.
This new academic year also ushers in
teacher licensure changes in Tennessee. For
the past several years, those seeking Tennessee
teacher license have had to pass the
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators
(reading, writing, and mathematics sections)
exam, a Praxis exam in their content
area (Music Content and Instruction for
those seeking music K-12 licensure), and the
Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching
(PLT) exam. This year, the accepted passing
score for several Praxis content exams
have been increased (i.e., Visual Arts K-12,
etc.). Luckily, the Praxis Music Content and
Instruction passing score was not adjusted.
Perhaps, the biggest change to licensure
requirements is the implementation of the
edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment)
portfolio measure. Though many university
teacher preparation programs (namely
Ready2Teach programs) have been using
the edTPA as a requirement for graduation,
all Tennessee teacher preparation programs
will be required to take the edTPA in 2018.
Preservice music teacher candidates will be
required to achieve a score of at least 37 on
the edTPA OR pass the Praxis PLT in addition
to passing the Praxis Music Content and
Instruction exam. Beginning January 2019,
all initial-license applicants will be required
to score at least a 42 on the edTPA and the
Praxis PLT will no longer be accepted.
The shift from the Praxis PLT to the edTPA
(administered by Pearson) drastically changes
the expectations of initial-teacher applicants.
What was once a “pencil and paper”
standardized exam and now computer-based
exam will be replaced by an intensive portfolio
exam that requires submission of narrative
responses, evidence of assessment, and
video segments of teaching. For a detailed
explanation of the edTPA, I encourage you
to visit edTPA.com. The edTPA was developed
by the Standard Center for Assessment,
Learning and Equity (SCALE) and inspired
by the Performance Assessment of California
Teachers (PACT) and the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards. The edTPA
(a $300 exam) focuses on three tasks: Planning,
Instruction, and Assessment. Teaching
candidates submit a portfolio that contains
videos, instructional artifacts and numerous
commentaries that are scored by “highly
trained educators” who are selected and
trained by Pearson.
The Society for Music Teacher Education
has issued a statement cautioning against
the use of high-stakes, value-added assessments
like the edTPA. One of their main arguments
is no evidence exists that the edT-
PA equates to success as a practicing music
teacher. They also argue the edTPA is more
of a measure of writing than a measure of
teacher effectiveness.
Despite the opposition to the edTPA, music
teacher trainers in Tennessee will need
to find a way to prepare preservice music
teachers to be successful on the exam in order
to secure teacher licensure. Adjustments
will more than likely need to be made to the
curriculum and degree plan for undergraduate
music education majors, which many will
view as another example of “teaching to the
test”. We have already seen student teaching/
residency seminars shifting from continued
professional development to edTPA coaching.
At the 2017 TMEA Higher Education
Caucus, some music teacher trainers voiced
concern of securing and retaining quality
secondary music student teaching/residency
supervisors, especially high school band,
orchestra and choir directors who have competitive
performance ensembles. Those supervisors
might be less likely to take student
teachers/residents because of the increased
focus on the edTPA, which would require
student teachers/residents to implement
“unit plan” instruction across 3-5 consecutive
lessons.
As Tennessee music education programs
adapt to these licensure changes, trust that
the Tennessee Music Education Association
will remain informed of the impact of these
changes and do our best to provide support as
needed.
20 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Experience
the Music within
2017-2018 Audition Dates
Junior/Senior Day Monday, Feb. 19, All Day
Woodwind Day Saturday, Feb. 24, All Day
REGISTER TO AUDITION HERE:
utm.edu/audition
Additional dates upon request.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music
(731)881-7402 • music@utm.edu • utm.edu/music
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 21

22 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

TMEA STATE COLLEGIATE NAfME CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Jennifer Vannatta-Hall, Ed. D.
GREETINGS COLLEGE STUDENTS
AND COLLEGIATE FACULTY!
I hope you are having a wonderful
semester. In the column that follows,
you will find information regarding
the C-NAfME Fall Kickoff, our newly
elected state collegiate officers, and the
College Advocacy Summit and Hill Day in
Washington, D. C. next summer.
2017 COLLEGIATE NAFME FALL KICKOFF
Our annual C-NAfME Fall Kickoff
was held on Saturday, September 16
at Middle Tennessee State University.
We offered twelve different sessions
throughout the day, which featured presentations
from collegiate faculty and
music specialists. If you were unable to
attend, or if you want to review the information
presented throughout the day,
you can find links to our Fall Kickoff presentations
on the TMEA website: http://
www.tnmea.org/cnafme.
MEET YOUR STATE C-NAfME OFFICERS
During our 2017 C-NAfME Fall Kickoff,
we held elections for state officers. The following
college students began serving their
terms as state officers on October 1, 2017.
• East Regional President: Andrew Layne
(UT, Knoxville) alayne@vols.utk.edu
• Middle Regional President: Lexi Buglio
(Belmont) alexis.buglio@pop.belmont.edu
• West Regional President: Ebonee Woodland
(UT, Martin) ebolwood@ut.utm.edu
• Vice President/Public Relations: Emily
Campbell (UT, Martin) emimcamp@
ut.utm.edu
• Secretary: Sarah McCutchan (Belmont)
sarah.mccutchan@pop.belmont.edu
These five collegiate officers are ready
and eager to serve! Feel free to reach out to
them with questions and/or ideas!
COLLEGIATE ADVOCACY SUMMIT AND HILL DAY
The NAfME National Assembly is an
opportunity to advocate music education
for all. TMEA will financially support
three to five Collegiate NAfME members
to serve as state delegates for the Collegiate
Advocacy Summit and Hill Day in
Washington, D. C. June 28 – July 1, 2018.
Mentoring and professional development
will empower you to be the advocate you
need to be, for yourself, and for your future
students. Other opportunities include
the following:
• Go “behind the scenes” as we meet faceto-face
with U. S. legislators and their
staffs in Senate and Representative offices
on the Hill.
• Meet and network with NAfME state
and national leaders.
• Participate in leadership and advocacy
training that you can take back to share
with your chapter and use in your career.
It’s the chance of a lifetime to carry
your passion for music education to Capitol
Hill!
Applicants who receive some financial
support from their college/university will
receive priority. If you are interested, apply
online www.tnmea.org. For questions
regarding this event, please contact me by
email: jennifer.vannatta-hall@mtsu.edu.
The NAfME National
Assembly is an
opportunity to
advocate music
education for all.
TMEA will financially
support three to five
Collegiate NAfME
members to serve
as state delegates
for the Collegiate
Advocacy Summit
and Hill Day in
Washington, D. C.
June 28 – July 1, 2018.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 23

TMEA SOCIETY FOR MUSIC TEACHER EDUCATION/
RESEARCH CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Jamila L. McWhirter, Ph. D.
At the August TMEA Council Meeting, I
proposed a research protocol to assist in
the numerous requests for participation in
research of TMEA members.
SMTE NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
The Society for Music Teacher Education
(SMTE) was held September 7 – 9,
2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The
keynote speaker was Aaron P. Dworkin,
who has served as dean of the University
of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater,
and Dance. He is founder of The Sphinx
Organization, the leading national arts organization
for transforming live through
the power of diversity and the arts. TNS-
MTE was represented by presentations by
Dr. Angela Ammerman (UT – Martin), Dr.
Christopher Dye (MTSU), and Dr. Jamila
L. McWhirter (MTSU):
• The Cycle of String Teacher Attrition:
Predicting Recruiting Practices with
the Theory of Planned Behavior – Dr.
Ammerman
• Developing Music Education Policy
Works: Pre-service Music Education
and Policy - Dr. Dye (with Dr. Carla E.
Aguilar – Metropolitan State University,
Denver)
• A Creative Duet: Mentoring Success
for Emerging Music Educators – Dr.
McWhirter
TMEA NEWLY ADOPTED RESEARCH PROTOCOL
At the August TMEA Council Meeting,
I proposed a research protocol to assist in
the numerous requests for participation in
research of TMEA members. The following
procedure was approved by the council
and is currently in place. Please read
carefully if you wish to approach TMEA
regarding research.
1
A request for approval from TMEA
must be submitted to the TMEA Research
Chair for evaluation. If this is an
initial request for a letter to submit for
IRB approval, then the researcher/student
researcher must provide the title,
type of research, purpose statement, description
of the study and why they wish
to include the TMEA membership (i.e.,
survey). This with the understanding that
this is not approval for the study, but an
acknowledgement that the request will be
considered again if IRB approval is granted.
The researcher/student researcher
must understand that IRB approval is
necessary to ensure that materials will be
treated in an ethical manner concerning
confidentiality and consent to participate.
2
Once IRB approval has been obtained,
the researcher/student researcher
may contact the TMEA Research Chair
with the IRB approval number, cover letter,
and survey questions. At this time,
the TMEA Research Chair will examine
the cover letter and survey questions.
If approved, they will be forwarded
to the TMEA Executive Director for
examination and any discussion that
may be needed with the TMEA officers.
3
If final approval is granted, then the
Executive Director will send the cover
letter and survey to the TMEA membership.
At no time will a researcher/student
researcher receive the email addresses of
the TMEA membership. The researcher/
student researcher may also place a link to
the survey on the TMEA Facebook Page if
they are a member of the organization.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Call for Proposals for Research
and Best Practices is now available on the
TMEA website. In order to submit a proposal,
click on the Conference Tab and then the
SMTE/Research Tab. The online proposal
submission form is due by February 1, 2018.
In-service teachers, graduate students,
and university faculty are encouraged to
submit for consideration for the poster
session or possible presentation.
Research – Research may be quantitative,
qualitative, or mixed methods. Research
should be completed and related
to music teaching and learning. In-service
teachers conducting action research in
their classrooms are encouraged to submit
these projects for consideration.
Best Practice – Best Practice submissions
should describe programs or practices
that are effectively meeting important
goals in music education. Proposals should
include a specific justification and/or rationale
for the program or practice, and a
description of the context in which it has
been implemented.
All submissions must meet the Code
of Ethics published in the Journal of Research
in Music Education. The proposal
form allows the submitter to select consideration
of the proposal in poster form, as a
presentation, or consideration as either.
3RD ANNUAL TNSMTE LUNCHEON/TNSMTE
SYMPOSIUM
Due to the increased participation, the
TNSMTE Luncheon will be held again
during the TMEA State Professional Development
Conference. Be sure to watch
for forthcoming details.
Also, the 2nd TNSMTE Symposium will
be held in September 2018 on the campus
of MTSU. More information will be available
this spring.
24 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Join NAfME to
help you keep step
FOR YEARS TO COME.
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Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 25

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Cody Hoenie, a junior from Knoxville, Tennessee, studies with Dr. Colin J. Hill. PHOTO BY WARREN LAFEVER.
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TMEA ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Christopher Dye, Ed. D.
TMEA’s primary state-level policy ask continues to be
the reestablishment of a specific fine arts coordinator
position at the department. Additionally, we will be
seeking to work with the Department of Education
in providing specific professional development to
accompany the rollout of the new state music standards.
IT IS AN EXCITING TIME to be an ad-
last year to become a more active voice
vocate for music education in Tennessee.
TMEA has made significant steps in the
on the issues that impact our profession. We
completed our first legislative session working
with Millsaps Gowan Government Relations to
monitor and respond to pending state legislation.
We held our first state Hill Day for music
education advocacy, establishing relationships
with key legislators and raising awareness of
TMEA as a voice for the music teaching profession
and the students of Tennessee. We have
also scaled up our communications, reaching
TMEA members through the Advocacy News
and Current Legislative News blogs and mobilizing
parents of music students through the
booster leadership listserv.
Tennessee was well represented this summer
at the NAfME Hill Day in Washington,
D.C. Our delegation of eleven included four
terrific collegiate members who also participated
in the Collegiate Advocacy Summit.
Our primary ask in our meetings with staffers
in senate and house offices was for full funding
of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
in the fiscal year 2018 budget. We continue to
celebrate music’s inclusion as an enumerated
subject in ESSA. To reach the benefits of this
enumeration the associated programs need
funding, particularly through Title II, Part A,
and Title IV, Part A. As I write this, the budget
process continues, with varying levels of
allocation authorized by the house and senate
appropriations committees. Follow the
latest developments on the TMEA blogs and
through NAfME’s advocacy resources and
make your perspective known to your elected
representatives.
As we approach the next year of state-level
legislative activity, I have proposed several
goals for the organization. We will be working
on several fronts to establish improved relationships
with the state Department of Education.
TMEA’s primary state-level policy
ask continues to be the reestablishment of a
specific fine arts coordinator position at the
department. Additionally, we will be seeking
to work with the Department of Education in
providing specific professional development
to accompany the rollout of the new state music
standards.
At the legislative level, we will begin crafting
model language that would expand the
place of music and the arts in the curriculum
of all Tennessee schools, K-12. Along with
this, we will work to identify legislators to
partner with to introduce this legislation on
our behalf. The second state Hill Day will expand
beyond a single day’s events to include
opportunities for branded local and digital advocacy
activities across the state throughout
March. Finally, we will begin looking ahead
to the upcoming election cycle, creating and
disseminating arts education questionnaires
that can be used to encourage candidates to
consider arts education in their campaign
platforms.
We also want TMEA to be a resource for
advocacy at the local level. Please reach out
to myself or any member of the TMEA board
if you encounter policy challenges at your
local level. Working together, we can ensure
that every student in Tennessee receives a
high-quality music education.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 27

CREATING A
PRACTICE CULTURE
Colin Hill, DMA
is nothing more satisfying than
teaching a student who practices
diligently each week. Their
progress is continuous and new
AS A MUSIC EDUCATOR, there
concepts and material can be frequently
introduced. Both the student and the
teacher leave each lesson/rehearsal feeling
successful and their steady progress keeps
both parties fully engaged, providing mutual
motivation for future sessions.
Unfortunately, for most educators, these
students are few and far between. Many
students exhibit sub-par practice habits.
As a result, lessons/rehearsals are often
focused on material covered in previous
weeks and teachers end up repeating concepts
ad nauseam. Further, students often
feel anxiety entering lessons/rehearsals,
dreading the inevitable conversation,
“Why didn’t you practice more?” Teachers
often find these situations equally frustrating,
and count down the minutes until
these sessions come to an end.
Is this challenge an inherent trait of music
education or perhaps a product of the way
we teach? Certainly some students walk in
the door with more discipline and a stronger
work ethic than others, but I’m convinced it
is possible to drastically improve the practice
habits of all of our students.
Typically, bad practice habits stem from
a lack of interest, motivation, or perceived
progress. However, when students are
taught how to practice efficiently, using fun
and creative methods, a successful practice
routine can be developed. When programs
are able to develop this successful practice
culture among its members, the learning
process becomes much more enjoyable for
both the students and teacher.
This article is designed for educators
who are looking for new and innovative
ways to motivate their students to practice.
I will share methods I have discovered or
been exposed to as a student and as an educator
at the middle school, high school, and
collegiate level, as well as my dissertation
research on practice habits.
When motivating students to practice,
the first step should include an effective
28 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

While it is
unrealistic to
expect that all
students will
develop great
practice habits,
it is possible to
greatly improve the
culture and attitude
towards practicing.
explanation of the importance of practice.
While all students and educators intuitively
realize that practice is necessary for our development,
research on the practice habits
of the most gifted consistently shows that
innate talent plays a much smaller role than
preparation. Further, substantial evidence
suggests that mastery can only be achieved
after 10,000 hours of practice early in life.
The second step is to require each student
to create an individualized practice
schedule. Our society operates on a web
of schedules, and if students can develop
a consistent practice schedule (time and
day), practice becomes a routine, rather
than something that must be “fit” into each
day. When executed correctly, students
will “show up” to their designated practice
time, much like they attend rehearsals and
classes. This approach doesn’t allow for
other obligations to prioritize themselves
over practicing and eliminates most issues
of motivation.
The third step is to create sustaining
motivation. While some teachers resort to
stern communication as their default routine,
there are numerous positive methods
that can be much more effective. When
implemented correctly, these methods can
help a student, and an entire program, develop
a long-lasting devotion to practice.
PUBLIC PRACTICE LOGS
Practice logs are an age-old way of encouraging/enforcing
practice hours. However,
these often fail for a number of reasons: dishonest
entries, lack of enforcement, poor
participation, added busy work for educator,
etc. A simple solution is to make these logs
public and highly promoted. Instantly, practicing
becomes a competitive activity, as students
try to “out do” one another and avoid
finishing near the bottom of the list. Practicing
then becomes a desirable activity, tied to
the program’s weekly culture. This system
naturally accomplishes many goals. One, the
students who already exhibited great practice
habits receive deserved recognition and
feel pressure to maintain their reputation as
a “top student.” Students also begin to see a
correlation between practice hours and ability
level. The top players are almost always
near the top of the list, while the weak players
routinely finish at the bottom. For the weaker
students, this is often a tangible explanation
as to why there are inferior players. Some
students blame their deficiencies on their
“lack of talent” rather than accepting it as a
product of their work ethic.
While dishonesty will still occur, it is a
favorable type of dishonesty. Those who
lie about their practice hours do it because
they feel pressure from their peers to practice
more. Further, these lies are typically
debunked rather quickly when they claim
to be practicing a high number hours but
consistently show up for lessons/rehearsals
unprepared.
30 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

Enforcing participation is as simple as
giving grade deductions for those who do
not complete the public practice log on a
weekly or bi-weekly basis. Further motivation
can be created by giving out weekly or
monthly awards to students who achieve
exemplary practice hours.
RECORDED ASSIGNMENTS
With today’s smartphones and computers,
every student should have access to a
recording device. Supplementing weekly
lesson assignments or rehearsal goals with
individual recording assignments, often resolves
many practice issues.
A recording assignment could be an exercise,
phrase, or excerpt that the student
is required to record and submit by a designated
deadline. The student may record it
as many times as needed (if done correctly,
it should take multiple takes), and the version
submitted should be as close to “perfect”
as possible.
The success of this method lies in the
simple fact that it takes a substantial
amount of practice to produce a recording
of a perfect run-through. Many students
have the false notion that if they
play it right once in the practice room,
they are prepared. However, when the red
light turns on, the student will feel added
pressure as they attempt to capture a perfect
run-through. Successfully capturing a
correct repetition requires a much higher
level of proficiency.
The pressure felt when trying to record
a perfect run-through is very similar to
the pressure one feels in a performance.
This pressure is rarely felt in the practice
room, which is another benefit of recorded
assignments.
Before students submit their recordings,
require that they listen closely
to their final product. This process of
self-evaluation can be an eye-opening experience
for less experienced players and
teaches them what they actually sound
like. For most, this instills a newfound
awareness of their abilities, eliminating
distorted self-perceptions.
REGULAR OCCURRING SOLO PERFORMANCES
It is amazing how hard students will
practice when they know they have to get
up and play for their peers. It only takes
one or two unprepared public performances
to improve a student’s practice habits.
While this may sound harsh, the fear of
embarrassment is a huge motivator.
These performances could be formal
(performance attire, on stage) or in a more
relaxed environment (masterclass setting).
Regardless, the frequency is key. It is recommend
that each student be required to
perform solo at least twice per semester
and could be as frequent as once per week,
maybe in the form of a playing test.
INCENTIVES AND PRIZES
Positive reinforcement is often the most
successful type of motivation. Reward
your students individually or as a group
for accomplishing their practice goals. For
example, individuals may receive small
prizes or something as simple as candy for
learning all their assigned lesson material.
In a group context, students could be rewarded
with a pizza party after reaching
a certain number of combined practice
hours. Creating incentive, especially with
younger students, can be highly successful.
These methods are just a few ways that
educators can motivate their students to
practice. There are many other methods
and strategies that can be implemented,
and regardless of the approach, it is important
that educators remain pro-active
regarding their students’ practice habits.
While it is unrealistic to expect that all students
will develop great practice habits, it
is possible to greatly improve the culture
and attitude towards practicing.
Dr. Colin J. Hill currently serves as the
Professor of Percussion Studies at Tennessee
Tech University. As an active performer,
Hill has been invited to perform concerts
throughout the United States, Europe, and
Asia and performs regularly with the BluHill
Percussion Duo, Bryan Symphony Orchestra,
and the TTU Faculty Jazz Combo. As an
educator, he has appeared as a guest artist
and clinician at numerous high schools and
universities throughout the United States as
well as several PAS Days of Percussion and
PAS International Conventions. Hill holds
degrees from The University of North Texas
(B.M.), Jacobs School of Music at Indiana
University (M.M.), and The University of
Kentucky (D.M.A)
Positive
reinforcement is
often the most
successful type
of motivation.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 31

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Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 33

THIS IS HOW WE
DO IT HERE:
ESTABLISHING A POSITIVE,
SUCCESSFUL CULTURE IN
YOUR MUSIC PROGRAM
DaLaine Chapman, Ph. D.
34 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

THE DREADED QUESTION
“Are we playing today?” asked a trombone
player as he entered the band room.
“What do you mean?” answered the band
director, “Yes--we are doing what we do
everyday, we’re playing.” “Oh, boo,” the
student responded, “I thought maybe we
could take a break and watch a movie. It’s
Friday and we always used to watch movies
on Friday’s when Mr. (fill in the blank) was
here…” “Ugh,” thought the teacher, “here
we go again.” This exchange is likely familiar
to many music teachers. It is not that
watching the occasional movie is bad; it is
that we often do not have enough time as it
is to teach all of the standards and curriculum
that are required during the time we
have with the students. Also, we want them
to want to play or sing everyday, right?
A director who recently changed schools
told me he had a goal to get his students to
the point where they were disappointed
when they had to watch a movie. He was
new to the school and wanted to know how
he would be able to change the thinking of
the students—thinking and behavior that
had been passed on from class to class for
years. I told him that he likely would have
to begin the long and arduous process
of changing the culture of his program. I
explained that to do so would require patience
from both him and his students, and
be done in small, yet powerful steps.
CULTURE
One of the definitions of culture is “the
beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society,
group, place, or time; a particular society
that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art,
etc.; a way of thinking, behaving, or working
that exists in a place or organization” (Merriam
Webster Online, 2015). Establishing a
strong culture in any program, band, chorus,
orchestra, or general music, makes it easier
for everyone involved to know and understand
expectations. Teachers may have
to ask themselves, are the ways that we do
things in this program helping or hurting
our success? We sometimes unknowingly
and blindly teach without a vision of success
for our students (or us). Bob Duke, Professor
of Music at the University of Texas at
Austin, states that we are to have a vision of
our students as successful, accomplished
learners. I would add that we should also
have a vision of ourselves as successful, accomplished
teachers. This vision can also
include the culture of our program.
Having a routine helps to form a culture.
Routine often involves having consistent
classroom activities, consistent classroom
management principles, and teaching
students respect for not just the physical
environment but for the program as a whole.
Before one can establish a culture, it is
best to identify what the vision actually is
for the program. It is at this point when decisions
can be made about the habits likely
enabling the maladaptive behavior(s).
When all of the behaviors are corrected
and your positive culture is in place, what
does it look like? Does your new culture
include a lot of parent support? Does it include
a lot of performances? Having a firm
idea of the end result is your vision of your
new and improved culture.
As far as behaviors are concerned, you
will have to determine what it is you want
to change. Do you want your students to
enter the room in a certain way? Do you
have guidelines for who is and is not allowed
in the music room? Do you want
your students to think of the music room as
a sacred place that is a safe haven for them
throughout the school day and beyond?
Teachers often tell me that they want
their students to have fun and enjoy the
experience in their classroom. I think it
would be difficult to find anyone who disagrees.
However, what exactly does that
mean? Does it mean that your students
enjoy your class because they are not being
corrected for their academic or social
behavior? Or are they enjoying the experience
because they are thrilled that the
one musical passage you have all been
working on finally came together beautifully?
Which enjoyment do you want them
to have? This is why identifying current
behaviors is so important. Defining what
fun and enjoyment is in your classroom is
part of how you change the culture. This is
different for everybody which is why it is
important to think through what you really
want for your program.
Having a routine helps to form a culture.
Routine often involves having consistent
classroom activities, consistent classroom
management principles, and teaching students
respect for not just the physical environment
but for the program as a whole.
It is a constellation of consistent behaviors
that interact together to create the culture.
A culture of any program is about just
that: the entire program. Not just the
marching band, or the top show choir, but
about all of the ensembles. It is likely that
in programs that have a strong sense of culture,
a high percentage of the students and
parents, not just the teacher, have strong
allegiances and loyalty toward having success.
Perhaps we have heard all too often:
“We had a great choral program for many
years…then she left…” It has to be about
everyone involved in the program for the
culture shift to happen and be successful.
CHANGE IS DIFFICULT, BUT A FEW
SELECTED STUDENTS CAN HELP
A mentor once told me that changing
the culture of any organization is like
turning a ship in a harbor. It takes time,
tenacity, and a lot of patience. It also takes
teamwork. Changing the thinking and behavior
of just one person is often difficult,
but having to do so with groups of students
is very challenging for one person
alone. A teacher trying to do so may be
better served by having a smaller subset
of that group to help in the process.
Older students mentoring younger students
help the culture cause tremendously.
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 35

If a teacher has trained student helpers in
how to act and how to mentor other students,
mentoring can be a powerful tool
in achieving a positive culture. Mentors
can be there to show that, yes, everyone
practices; yes, everyone obeys the rules;
yes, everyone not only gets to rehearsal,
but also arrives on time; and yes, we
have fun, but we have fun doing the right
things. The students respect each other
for their similarities and differences. Older
students show younger ones how to act
by modeling the expected behavior. Often,
when younger students see an audience
react positively to a well-done musical
performance by the older students, the
culture of the program starts to change.
Former students have told me that they
were glad they had older students to look
up to and help navigate their first year in
the program—they acknowledged that
there was a certain comfort in knowing
someone was looking out for them.
You have the good
fortune to establish
the culture of your
choice. So, look
around. Are you happy
with the culture of
your program? Is it
self-sustaining where
you do not have to tell
students every Friday
that “yes, we are
playing today”?
RESPECT
The endgame of course is gaining respect
for the program, and not just from
administration, parents, and the general
public, but also from the students themselves.
Students who are proud of their
music programs typically are a part of programs
of excellence. They practice, they
work hard, and they reap the benefits of
the hard work by becoming excellent musicians.
They are proud to wear the jacket
associated with the ensemble, and they are
happy to have a room on campus where
they can go to just ‘hang out.’
I am sure many who are reading this
would agree that when we walk into music
rooms we have developed a sense of
knowing quite quickly the culture of the
program. There are often students in the
room before and after school. Are the students
respectful and helpful? Are they nice
to each other? Do they adhere to the guidelines
of the school?
Students have to have a healthy respect
for the room in which they are making music.
It does not matter if it is the band room,
choir room, or general music classroom.
Students can be taught how to respect
their environment. How do they treat the
physical room? Is there trash on the floor?
Are there instrument parts lying around?
Are choral risers unhooked from one another
and spread around the room? Are
there stacks of books and papers on the piano?
Are there broken music stands everywhere?
You might say, well, perhaps that is
the job of the parent to instill such values
in their own children. Yes, but…we have
all had students who act much better in
our music room than they do in their own
home, or in other teachers’ classrooms.
It is no secret that we are often mother,
father, sister, or brother to our students,
teaching them not only music, but also how
to behave in a public place.
Finally, there has to be a strong respect
for the music itself: for rehearsing it, for
understanding it, and for performing it.
After all, producing an exquisite sounding
group with your students is likely a large
part of why you were hired. It would be
equally terrific if the students were well
mannered and respectful as well as good
musicians. Ultimately, the probability is
high that the culture will change in the
right direction if it is about the music. Incidentally,
the music portion of this article
was not placed near the end to signify its
place in a successful culture. Remember,
all of these points interact with one another
on a daily basis toward a successful culture
in any program.
You have the good fortune to establish
the culture of your choice. So, look
around. Are you happy with the culture of
your program? Is it self-sustaining where
you do not have to tell students every Friday
that “yes, we are playing today”? If so,
then congratulations! I am sure you enjoy
going to school and reaping the rewards of
your patience and hard work. If not, you
are in the perfect position to make lasting
changes that will benefit both you and
your students.
Culture. [Def. 5]. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster.
com.
Retrieved January 3, 2015, from http://www.
merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
DaLaine Chapman is currently an Assistant
Professor of Music Education at Florida
Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Her
research interests include music teacher
evaluation and assessment as well as the supervision
of student teachers. Dr. Chapman
is an active conductor/clinician who has presented
at numerous clinics and conferences
nationwide. Her professional affiliations include
Florida Music Educators Association,
Florida Bandmasters Association, Texas Music
Educators Association, and the National
Association for Music Education. She is also
a member, by invitation, of the Omega chapter
of Phi Beta Mu, the prestigious International
Band Fraternity. She holds Bachelors
and Masters Degrees from The Florida State
University and a Ph.D. from The University
of Texas at Austin.
36 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

MUSIC AT
Milligan produces life-long learners and lovers of music, as well as accomplished performers. The program’s
faculty consists of knowledgeable and experienced musicians who also are dedicated and caring educators
focused on helping students achieve their musical goals.
MAJORS
Music Performance
Music Business
music education
(Instrumental, Vocal)
Musical Theatre
fine arts (MUSIC EMPHASIS)
worship leadership
MINORS
music Performance
Music ministry
Worship leadership
ENSEMBLES
Concert Choir
Women’s Chorale
Orchestra
String Quartet
Civic Band
Johnson City Symphony
Orchestra
Heritage
Heard Mentality
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships are available, regardless of a student’s intended
major. To schedule an audition, call 423.461.8723, or email
music@milligan.edu.
INTRODUCING
MUSICAL
THEATRE
NEW
MAJOR
FALL
2018
LEARN MORE
MILLIGAN.EDU/MUSIC
A TOP COLLEGE & BEST VALUE.
–U.S. NEWS
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 37

STARTING A TRI-M MUSIC HONOR SOCIETY®:
AN INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN SCHOEPFLIN
Anna Laura Williams
STUDENT LEADERSHIP:
these two words can positively
impact the enjoyment and influence
your student musicians have
within your music program and
community. If you are seeking to
“recognize the outstanding music students
in your school, and the importance of music
education in shaping the leaders of tomorrow”,
“highlight your music program and
make an impact in your community,” and
“motivate students to take on leadership
roles...and develop key skills for future success,”
then “Tri-M® is for you, your students,
and your community.”
WHAT IS TRI-M?
Formerly known as “Modern Music Masters”
before becoming a program of NAfME
in 1983, Tri-M is a music student service organization
with chapters in public and nonpublic
schools throughout America. As described
on its website, “Tri-M Music Honor
Society® is a program of NAfME...[and] is the
only national honor society for student musicians
in grades 6-12. There are more than
1,900 chapters across all 50 states, involving
more than 75,000 students. Each year, these
students contribute more than 750,000 service
hours to their schools and local communities,
and raise nearly $1 million for causes
they care about.” Tri-M offers two divisions:
Senior (Grades 9-12) and Junior (Grades 6-8;
can include 9th grade, depending on your
school’s grade-level distribution).
INTERVIEW: 2017 TRI-M JUNIOR DIVISION
CHAPTER OF THE YEAR
NAfME annually recognizes two Tri-M
Chapters (one Junior Division and one Senior
Division) with the “Tri-M Chapter of
the Year” award. This year, Elizabeth Davis
Middle School (Chester, Virginia) received
the distinction of 2017 Tri-M Junior Chapter
of the Year.
Mr. Jonathan Schoepflin is the current
Tri-M Chapter Advisor at Elizabeth Davis
Middle School and started the band program
in 2008 when the school opened. Since its
inception, the band has substantially grown,
now has two full-time band directors (his
Tri-M Music Honor Society®
is a program of NAfME...
[and] is the only national
honor society for student
musicians in grades 6-12
Tri-M co-sponsor, Mrs. Madeline Barker), and
has started an orchestra program. Mr. Schoepflin
spoke with us about his Tri-M chapter to
provide advice to any music educators seeking
to start or build a Tri-M chapter.
In your opinion, what is the best aspect of
having Tri-M in your school/community?
“In a word, Leadership. We are a school
of 1,200 students between the grades of
6-8. The students who are members of the
Tri-M are sought-after by teachers and administrators…as
the ‘pulse’ of the school.
These young leaders know what goes on
and want what is best for our school. [Our
Tri-M chapter] is still young, only four years
old. Our school has seen the impact we have.
One of our goals of [this] year is to focus on
public relations so the community can see
what we are doing. One of the first things
I tell the new members of our Tri-M every
year is: ‘Whether you succeed or fail to meet
your goals for this year…will be completely
up to you. I am just your guide and will help
you along the way, but I will not be doing the
work. You will.’ The kids take it upon themselves
to set goals and then figure out a way
to meet them.”
What inspired you to begin the Tri-M
chapter at your school?
“Leadership, kids don’t have a place to
practice it in schools. Sports really don’t provide
this (coaches are the leaders most often
and the kids are just cattle). Everyone likes
music, so it seems a natural fit for our school.
We want our kids to think for themselves
and lead our organization in a way that represents
what is important to us. Our goal is to
have every music offering at our school with
a dedicated teacher for that. We added classical
guitar in 2015. Our orchestra is growing
larger and managing a guitar program is getting
too much for just two teachers. Having a
lot of students is a good problem. One of the
things I’ve learned is that ‘good problems’
have to be fixed too. In order to continue to
serve our students, I HAD to start a Tri-M.
We cannot survive without it!”
How many students are in your current
Tri-M Chapter?
“Next year is our 5th year of Tri-M at our
school, and because our orchestra program
is still growing, the largest group of members
[comes from] band. Our chorus teacher
isn’t interested at this time of having her
students be part of Tri-M…[because] her
38 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

program is still growing. In our by-laws at our school, Tri-M is [exclusively
for] 8th grade. Students have three opportunities to be ‘invited’
to join the group. The first two [invitations] happen while they
are in 7th grade. We had 38 eighth graders qualify so far for next year
(29 band, 9 orchestra). We also have twelve more students that have
met all criteria except for GPA (3.4 on 4.0 scale). These students
have until the end of the 1st nine weeks to be invited if their grades
meet our criteria at that time.
Also, as we are located next to Ft. Lee Army Base, we have a large
population of military families. Students that move-in are also invited
if they meet the invitation criteria. In all, we anticipate the 2017-18
Tri-M to be about 55, and the 2018-19 [Tri-M] to be close to 70 as that
is the year that our orchestra growth will start to level off. Students
are not considered to be members until they have met the goals they
set and that is when we do our induction, near the END of their 8th
grade year. We eventually want members in chorus, guitar, as well
as music technology (when we offer that class!), but for now, that is
where we are on our journey.”
How many hours outside of your normal teaching duties do you
devote towards Tri-M planning, meetings, etc.?
“Typically about an hour a week, depending on what the kids have
planned. I don’t go to all their events. The members have to present
their ideas to the group, and this includes what adult supervision will
be present and who from the membership will help.”
What is some advice you can give to music educators looking to
begin Tri-M chapters at their schools?
“[After accepting the position at this school when it was first
built], I decided then that I did not want to take on [a Tri-M chapter]
until the growth in the band leveled off. We started off with only
100 kids in the band and quickly shot up to 280 in just a couple years.
After doing some ‘weeding,’ we were consistently at 225 kids in the
band by our 5th year and are still at this point now. The first group
of kids that I talked with regarding starting a Tri-M, I called…the
‘Charter Members’. I made a big deal about starting something that
can live past your time here at this school. The goal of this group was
to do the mundane administrative tasks such as writing our bylaws,
developing procedures, and setting long-term goals. Because the
tasks are a bit boring, I had 14 girls and ZERO boys that wanted to do
it! Anyhow, they wrote our bylaws, and we start every year tweaking
them as it was designed to be a fluid document that changes as our
program does.
My advice for people who want to start a chapter is they first need
to realize this is not a one-year thing. Even though our chapter is only
four years old, we have goals and commitments we have set for the
next decade. Make sure your classroom music program has ‘leveled
off ’ in terms of growth. Our goal for the band was a minimum of 15%
of the student population consistently every year. Tri-M is an ‘icing on
the cake’ and really difficult to manage if you are still baking the cake!
I am learning this now because as of last year, [Mrs. Barker and I] are
now not only the band directors but also the orchestra directors as
well. We have taken our orchestra from less than 4% of students a year
ago, to 13% next year. Our goal is by our third year for our band and orchestra
to be the same size, meaning just the two of us will teach over
37% of the school. We inducted our first orchestra Tri-M members
last year, and each year, more members will be string players. This
will force music educators to get out of the mindset of ‘more is better.’
They have to ask the question: how many students should be in my
band program? Orchestra program? Choral program? etc. Think like
a farmer. If you are constantly growing, you are never harvesting. Having
a Tri-M allows our school to harvest the best things about being
in a music program.”
Our next article will continue the second half of Mr. Jonathan
Schoepflin’s interview, featuring some of his chapter’s most successful
Tri-M service projects.
Mr. Jonathan Schoepflin is the current Director of Bands and Orchestra
at Elizabeth Davis Middle School (2008-Present), is entering
his twenty-first year of teaching, and has attained his Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees in Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth
University (1995, 2015).
WHAT ARE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR TRI-M CHAPTER?
To become a Chapter Advisor and begin the process of creating a
Tri-M® chapter, please visit Tri-M’s official website for additional details
regarding eligibility. To join Tri-M, students “must be enrolled
in at least one music class for at least one semester, have a 2.0 GPA in
their core classes, and a 3.0 in their music class(es), and be of strong
character.” More information regarding student membership criteria,
including music ensemble participation, academic achievement,
leadership, service hours/points, and character, are available in the
Tri-M Quick-Start Guide and Tri-M Membership Criteria website
(available online).
Elementary, Middle, and High School
Band, Choir, and Orchestra
2018:
April 20-21
April 27-28
May 4-5
2019:
April 12-13
April 26-27
May 3-4
www.SMMFestival.com
or call:1-855-766-3008
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 39

HOW TO START A CHAPTER
It only takes three simple steps to create a
Tri-M chapter at your school:
1. “Visit nafme.org/tri-m to download
your chapter activation form, call 800-
336-3768, or email Tri-M@nafme.org.
2. Send in your activation form and
$100 fee
3. Receive a Tri-M Quick-Start Guide
and get your chapter going.”
Schoepflin, J. (2017, July 8). 2017 Tri-M
Junior Division Chapter of the Year
[E-mail & Phone interview].
Tri-M Learning Guide. (2017). Retrieved
August 20, 2017, from https://nafme.
org/wp-content/files/2014/05/Tri-M-
Learning-Guide-2016-2017-1.pdf
Tri-M Membership Criteria. (2017).
Retrieved August 20, 2017, https://nafme.
org/programs/tri-m-music-honorsociety/why-tri-m/membershipcriteria/
Tri-M Music Honor Society: History of
Tri-M. (2017). Retrieved August 20, 2017,
from https://nafme.org/programs/tri-m-
music-honor-society/tri-m-music-honor-
society-history-of-tri-m/
Tri-M Quick-Start Guide. (2014, April).
Retrieved August 20, 2017, from https://
nafme.org/wp-content/files/2014/05/
Tri-M-Quick-Start-Guide-15-16.pdf
Tri-M FAQ. (2017). Retrieved August 20,
2017, from https://nafme.org/programs/
tri-m-music-honor-society/tri-m-faq/
Tri-M Music Honor Society. (2017).
Retrieved August 20, 2017, from https://
nafme.org/programs/tri-m-music-honorsociety/
Why Tri-M? (2017). Retrieved August 20,
2017, from https://nafme.org/programs/
tri-m-music-honor-society/why-tri-m/
Anna Laura Williams serves as the Tri-M
Music Honor Society Tennessee State Chair.
She is the co-director of bands at Siegel Middle
School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and
is a member of MTSBOA. She received her
BM in music education from Middle Tennessee
State University (summa cum laude).
it's time
TO START A
Tri-M MUSIC
honor
SOCIETY CHAPTER
Start a chapter at your school in
3 EASY STEPS!
Join the only national honor
society for student musicians in grades
6-12.
1,775
CHAPTERS
75,000
STUDENT MEMBERS
MusicHonors.com | Tri-M@nafme.org | 1-800-336-3768
®
40 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

LEARN, PERFORM, PERFECT
“Maryville College is the perfect
place for me to grow into
the music educator
I hope to be.”
MEGAN KOLB
Birmingham, Alabama
Recipient of the
Full-Tuition Scholarship for
Music Majors
Located in the new $47-million Clayton Center for the Arts, the
Maryville College Music Department offers a comprehensive,
NASM-accredited music curriculum within the College’s
acclaimed liberal arts experience. Because of its size,
Maryville College provides students with nearly endless
opportunities to perform — in choirs, ensembles,
bands, orchestras, musicals and opera scenes.
Degree opportunities:
B.A. in Music | B.M. in Music Education
B.M. in Vocal Performance
B.M. in Music Theory/Composition
Music scholarships are available,
and worth up to full tuition.
Contact Ashlyn Kittrell at
ashlyn.kittrell@maryvillecollege.edu
for details.
MARYVILLECOLLEGE.EDU
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 41

TENNESSEE MUSICIAN ADVERTISER INDEX | VOLUME 70, 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
Austin Peay State University 15
Belmont University 8
Bob Rogers Travel
Inside Back Cover
East Tennessee State University 3
Spectrum of Richmond/Fiesta-val 42
Lee University
Inside Front Cover
Maryville College 41
Middle Tennessee State University 18
Milligan College 37
NAMM Foundation 9
Slate Group
Outside Back Cover
Smoky Mountain Music Festival 38
Tennessee State University 12
Tennessee Technological University 26
University of Memphis 32
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 7
University of Tennessee at Knoxville Bands 17
University of Tennessee at Knoxville School of Music 22
University of Tennessee at Martin 21
Yamaha Corporation of America 33
Tennessee Music Education Assocation | www.tnmea.org | 43

TMEA BACK THEN
• An interesting news bulletin appeared
in this edition of the Tennessee Musician
with the headline “TMEA Convention
Postponed.” According to the article, the
TMEA Board of Directors, at a meeting
held on October 2nd, voted to unanimously
postpone the first state convention,
which was planned for November 7-9,
1954. The program had been planned
with several national exhibitors lined up.
The TMEA Board of Directors deemed
the postponement as necessary because
“attendance in November, by all indications,
would not justify the large-scale meeting
planned at this time. Adequate information
had not reached the teachers over the state,
and several other conventions and district
meetings were competing for teachers’
attendance.” It should be noted that the
convention was to be held in conjunction
with the Tennessee Division of Music
Teachers National Association, which
planned to hold their own convention in
November during the same dates at Peabody
College in Nashville, Tennessee.
• C.B. Hunt, Jr. a past president of MTSBOA
wrote an interesting article that detailed the
results of a composition contest that was
co-sponsored by both TMEA and MTSBOA
during the academic year 1953-1954. Using
the Peabody College Symphonic Band as the
laboratory band, fifty-eight works were read
and two winners were selected from a pool
that represented twenty-nine states. The
budget was included $400.00 for prize money
and $100.00 for expenses. The winners were
Nicholas Tawa who wrote Concerto Grosso
for Band and Donald O. Johnston who wrote
Prelude for Band. The contest committee
members were Howard Brown, Music
Supervisor of Nashville City Schools, Taylor
Hagan, Band Director at East High School,
Philip Slates, Assistant Professor of Music at
Peabody College, Philip Howard, Assistant
Professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State
College, Eli Pacetti, Band Director at Howard
School, and C.B. Hunt, Associate Professor
of Music at Peabody College.
national requirements and judges who were
nationally known authorities on marching
bands, the contest announcement cited that
there was much interest by the band directors
in the area.
• A reprint of an article that first appeared
in the Tennessean that reviewed a marching
band contest held at East High School in
Nashville, Tennessee. The contest featured
eighteen high school bands and their baton
twirling auxiliary units. The highlight of the
contest was the mass band performances
of the Star Spangled Banner. Band’s with
notable performances included Tullahoma
High School Band, Isaac Litton High School,
East High School, and Howard School.
Taylor Hagan, Band Director at East High
School, served as festival chair. The mass
band performance was directed by Howard
Brown, Music Supervisor of Nashville
City Schools. Assisting Brown was Floyd
Rodgers, Instrumental Music Supervisor
of Nashville City Schools. Ratings of A
through E were announced by then MTSBOA
President J.B. Hewgley and results were
published in this edition of the Tennessee
Musician.
• An announcement of a West Tennessee
Marching Contest, sponsored by the Jackson
Exchange club was scheduled to be held in
Rothrock Stadium on November 18, 1954.
It was noted in this announcement that
this particular contest was the first such
contest organized before World War II. Using
THE TENNESSEE MUSICIAN
(OCOTBER 1954)
Volume 7, No. 1 – 12 pgs.
Carolyn (McCalla) Travers, TMEA President
Floyd D. Funk, Editor
44 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2017 | Volume 70, No. 1

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