Spring 2023

N O R T H C A R O L I N A 

MUSIC EDUCATOR 

Award-Winning 

Jazz Educator 

in Our Own 

Backyard 

by Johnathan Hamiel 

& Tina Robinett 

Using Technology 

to Enhance Your 

School Concert 

by Peter J. Perry 

Volume 73 Number 4 Spring 2023 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 1

ANNOUNCING THE 

$6 MILLION 

MAKING MUSIC. 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 

CHAUNCEY 

SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT 

UNCW DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC 

SPRING 2023 

MUSIC 

FESTIVALS 

APPLY AND AUDITION 

FOR SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION 

SATURDAY, DEC. 3, 2022 • SATURDAY, JAN. 21, 2023 • SATURDAY, FEB. 11, 2023 

SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2023* • SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023 

East Carolina University is committed to equality of opportunity and prohibits unlawful 

discrimination based on the following protected classes: race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, 

national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual 

orientation, 2 | NORTH gender CAROLINA identity, MUSIC age, disability, EDUCATOR political affiliation and veteran status. 

prior to the event. Questions regarding UNCW’s Title IX compliance 

should be directed to titleix@uncw.edu. 

NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 1 

C.S. 23-0136 

EMAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION: musicadmissions@ecu.edu 

*Feb. 18, 2023: Last audition day for scholarship consideration 

East Carolina University ® • Greenville, NC • music.ecu.edu 

FLUTE ENSEMBLES FESTIVAL 

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 21 - 22 

Mary Jo White · whitemj@uncw.edu 

PIANO DAY 

Saturday, Feb. 11 

Barry Salwen · salwenb@uncw.edu 

NC HORN DAY 

Saturday, Feb. 25 

Nicholas Fife · fifen@uncw.edu 

JAZZ FEST 

Friday, March 24 

Jerald Shynett · shynettj@uncw.edu 

BRASS FEST 

Saturday, April 1 

Daniel Johnson · johnsond@uncw 

SUMMER CONCERT BAND 

Monday evenings, May 8-June 26 

Dominic Talanca · talancad@uncw.edu 

UNCW is an EEO/AA Institution. 

Accommodations for disabilities may be requested 

by contacting the Disabilities Resource Center at 910.962.7555 at least seven days 

CONTACT THE UNCW FACULTY DIRECTOR LISTED 

FOR INFORMATION, INCLUDING 

· student age groups for each event 

· schedules and activities 

· benefit to teachers and students 

· registration and fees 

· how to participate 

And ask about workshops 

just for teachers! 

910.962.3390 

uncwmus@uncw.edu 

uncw.edu/music

N O R T H C A R O L I N A 

MUSIC EDUCATOR 

uncp.edu/music • music@uncp.edu • 910.521.6230 

NCMEA Board Directory 

4 

A special thank you to all our advertisers who 

NCMEA Executive Director’s Message 

Susan Heiserman 

NCMEA President’s Message 

Johnathan Hamiel 

Using Technology to Enhance 

Your School Concert 

by Peter J. Perry 

6 

8 

10 

support music educators and music education in 

North Carolina. 

Brevard College 

17 

East Carolina University Inside Front Cover 

Hayes School of Music 

11 

MUSIC EDUCATION 

MUSICAL THEATRE 

BACHELOR OF ARTS 

MUSIC INDUSTRY EMPHASIS 

Orchestra Section 

14 

NAfME 

23, Back Cover 

Across the Districts 

15 

Pfeiffer University 

13 

Band Section 

Award-Winning Jazz Educator in 

Our Own Backyard 

Johnathan Hamiel & Tina Robinett 

Elementary Choral Section 

Middle School Choral Section 

16 

18 

20 

22 

UNC Charlotte 

UNC Greensboro 

UNC Pembroke 

UNC Wilmington 

7 

19 

3 

1, 21 23 

High School Choral Section 

24 

Technology Section 

25 

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Stay in touch with NCMEA/NAfME 

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your updates. 

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2 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 3

Board of Directors 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

SECTION CHAIRS 

COMMISSION & COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

President: Johnathan Hamiel* 

Orange County 

jhamiel@ncmea.net 

Immediate Past President: Carol 

Earnhardt* 

Forsyth County 

cearnhardt@ncmea.net 

President-Elect: Catherine Butler* 

Guilford County 

cbutler@ncmea.net 

Recording Secretary: 

Carolina Perez* 

Durham County 

secretary@ncmea.net 

Member-at-Large: 

Jordan Lee* 


member-at-large1@ncmea.net 

Member-at-Large: Lorena Schakel* 

Stokes County 


Band: Jim Kirkpatrick* 

Burke County 

band_chair@ncmea.net 

Band Section Delegate: 

O’Shae Best* 

Mecklenburg County 

band_delegate@ncmea.net 

Collegiate NAfME: Sabina Blue* 

Robertson County 

collegiate_president@ncmea.net 

Elementary: Joseph Girgenti* 

Union County 

elementary_section@ncmea.net 

High School Choral: Aleisa Baker* 

Buncombe County 

hschoral_chair@ncmea.net 

Higher Education: Jose Rivera* 

Robeson County 

higher_education@ncmea.net 

Jazz Education: Tina Robinett* 

Buncombe County 

jazz_chair@ncmea.net 

Jazz Section Delegate: Luke Meade* 

Johnston County 

jazz_delegate@ncmea.net 

Middle School Choral: Emily Turner* 

Wake County 

mschoral_chair@ncmea.net 

Orchestra: Joseph Walker* 

Durham County 

orchestra_chair@ncmea.net 

Orchestra Section Delegate: 

Matthew Holt* 

Durham County 

orchestra_delegate@ncmea.net 

Exceptional Children & General 

Music: Rue S. Lee-Holmes 

Sampson County 

exeptionalchildren_generalmusic@ncmea.net 

Conference Chair: Barbara Geer 


conference_chair@ncmea.net 

Asst. Conference Chair: Adam Joiner 


conference_assistant@ncmea.net 

Mentoring: Carol Earnhardt 


mentoring_program@ncmea.net 

Music In Our Schools Month: 

Tonya Allison & Lindsay Williams 

Forsyth and Onslow Counties 

miosm_chair1@ncmea.net (Tonya) 

miosm_chair2@ncmea.net (Lindsay) 

AWARDS, GRANTS 

& SCHOLARSHIP CHAIRS 

Music Program Leaders: 

Andrew Craft 


music_program_leader@ncmea.net 

Popular Music: Jonathan Kladder 

New Hanover County 

popular_music@ncmea.net 

Research: Tim Nowak 

Pitt County 

research_chair@ncmea.net 

Retired Membership: Libby Brown & 

Heidi Sue Ross 

Watauga & Wake Counties 

retired_membership@ncmea.net 

retired_cochair@ncmea.net 

Student Activities: 

Catherine Butler 



STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

Teacher Education: Jose Rivera 

Robeson County 

teacher_education@ncmea.net 

Technology Chair: Howell “Howie” 

Ledford & Julian Wilson 

Guilford and Gaston Counties 

technology_chair@ncmea.net 

Tri-M: Riley Lopez 

New Hanover County 

tri-m@ncmea.net 

Young Professionals: Emily AsKew 

Davidson County 

young_professionals@ncmea.net 

Webmaster: Mark Healy 

Wake County 

mhealy@ncmea.net 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS 

District 1: Lisa Murray* 

Pitt County 

district1@ncmea.net 

District 2: Bob Norem* 

Pender County 


DISTRICT PRESIDENTS 

District 4: Roosevelt Pratt* 

Cumberland County 


District 5: Ronald Forsh* 



District 7: Janet Berry* 

Burke County 


District 8: Open* 


Awards: Jordan Lee 



Grants: Jordan Lee & Lorena Schakel 

Guilford and Wake Counties 

member-at-large1@ncmea.net (Jordan) 

member-at-large2@ncmea.net (Lorena) 

Scholarships: Lorena Schakel 

Wake County 


NCMEA OFFICE 

883-C Washington Street 

Raleigh, NC 27605 

919-424-7008 

www.ncmea.net 

Executive Director: Susan Heiserman 

Wake County 

sheiserman@ncmea.net 

Advocacy: James Daugherty 

Davidson County 

jdaugherty@ncmea.net 

Constitution: Maribeth Yoder-White 

Watauga County 

constitution_committee@ncmea.net 

Finance: Carol Earnhardt 


cearnhardt@ncmea.net 

IVfME: Lillie Allmond Harris & 

Tim Nowak 

Guilford & Pitt County 

ivfme@ncmea.net 

Membership: Catherine Butler 



Publications: Kim Justen 

journal_editor@ncmea.net 

Collegiate NAfME Advisor: 

Lisa Runner 

Watauga County 

collegiate_advisor@ncmea.net 

Editor: Kim Justen 

journal_editor@ncmea.net 

Executive Director: Susan Heiserman 

Wake County 

sheiserman@ncmea.net 

Historian: Dr. John Henry, Jr. 


historian@ncmea.net 

Music Industry Rep.: Adam Frank 


music_industry_rep@ncmea.net 

Parlimentarian: Dave Albert 

Wake County 

parlimentarian@ncmea.net 

District 3: Andrew Childers* 

Wilson County 


District 6: Julia Winegardner* 



* Voting Member 

Counties listed reflect the county taught in 

Communications Manager: 

Mark Healy 

Wake County 

mhealy@ncmea.net 

NCDPI Rep.: Brandon Roeder 

Wake County 

brandon.roeder@dpi.nc.gov 

advancing music education by promoting 

the understanding and making of music by all 


Notes from the Executive Director 

Susan Heiserman 

It’s that time of year! As the flowers and trees are blooming, 

hopefully you are witnessing some musical blossoming in 

your classrooms and programs. Many of you are very busy 

preparing for MPAs, spring concerts and musicals, and other yearend 

activities; but amidst all the bustle, I hope you can find small 

moments to sit back, reflect on – and appreciate – your successes, 

no matter how large or small. You’ve brought people together. 

You’ve released beauty and joy into the world. There’s no doubt 

you’ve inspired someone this year. 

It’s for this reason we’ve landed on the theme Inspire 

Harmony for our 2023 Professional Development Conference. 

As music educators, you have the unique privilege to use your 

art to transcend boundaries and inspire harmony on all levels 

– musically, interpersonally, between cultures, and in society. 

This year’s conference will explore and celebrate the many ways 

outstanding educators are creating positive impact and change. 

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in Winston-Salem, 

November 4 – 7! 

We wrapped up a fantastic Music In Our Schools Month and 

have been working on a number of other advocacy items in the past 

months. With the help of NCMEA’s lobbyists, we have established 

many new connections with state government officials and have 

shared input on issues like teacher licensure and compensation, 

school report cards, accessing funding for music education, and 

other proposed initiatives such as an arts proficiency diploma seal 

and provisions to provide regular music classes to all K – 5 students 

in North Carolina. If you ever have questions or concerns about 

music education policy, please reach out to me. 

There are a number of other exciting things happening within 

NCMEA! From our new Popular Music Education Committee 

to webinars to the NCMEA podcast (now 12 episodes in!), our 

committees and leaders are working hard to identify and provide 

resources and support that meet the needs of all music educators 

across the state. We want all voices to be represented, so if you see 

a need in a particular area or have a special interest, please let us 

know – and consider joining our new Leadership Academy this 

August. 

Finally, I encourage you to consider nominating someone 

for an NCMEA award. There are many outstanding, deserving 

educators and administrators, but we need your help identifying 

them! Nomination forms for Honor Administrator, Pat Hall Music 

Educator Advocate, and the Hall of Fame awards will be open mid- 

April – mid-June. Visit www.ncmea.net/programs/awards to learn 

more. 

I wish you the best of luck as you wrap up another school year. 

If you have questions, need support, or want to get more involved 

with NCMEA activities or leadership, I’d love to hear from you. 

BOLD IDEAS. 

BIG CITY. 

Leadership Academy 

NCMEA recognizes that there are a lot of talented leaders 

within our membership – and we have a lot of leadership roles 

within the organization that could benefit 

from your involvement! For that reason, 

we’re starting a Leadership Academy 

for members who may be interested in 

deepening their involvement with NCMEA. 

The first cohort will start in August 

2023 and will include an introduction 

to NCMEA’s history and organizational 

structure, how committees and meetings 

work, leadership styles, and more. The 

NCMEA Leadership Academy is a one-day 

academy that is free and open to any NCMEA member who 

would like to learn more about NCMEA policies, procedures, 

history, and how to run an effective business meeting; which 

includes Roberts Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure. 

The leadership camp will be facilitated by David Albert, past 

NCMEA president (2009-2011), and Maribeth Yoder White, 

past NCMEA president (2003 – 2005) and 

past Southern Division president (2012 – 

2014). We have so many wonderful leaders 

throughout the state of North Carolina. 

Every time we observe an All-County, All- 

District, All-State, or All-Region honors 

ensemble, we are reminded how lucky we 

are to serve such dedicated individuals. 

If you are interested in learning more 

about various leadership opportunities, 

please fill out this short form. (This is not a 

commitment to a leadership role or to the Leadership Academy, 

just an expression of interest!) 

Music at Charlotte 

UPTOWN PERFORMANCES EXCITING GUEST ARTISTS 

Charlie Parker at The Jazz Room Composer/Performer Pamela Z 

@clt_coaa 

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS 

Carlisle Floyd’s opera, Susannah 

At UNC Charlotte, studies go beyond the 

university and into Charlotte's creative community. 

With bold ideas and broad connections, our talented 

faculty, students, and alumni are shaping the civic 

imagination of this fast-growing city. 

Holocaust Remembrance Day Concert 

Backstage at the Eagles concert 

Renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis 

music.charlotte.edu 


President’s Message 

The winter months have been extremely busy but 

productive for the NCMEA leadership. As spring 

approaches, several of our music educators are preparing 

for Music Performance Adjudication (MPA). Best of luck to all of 

the music educators who are participating in MPA state festivals. 

As music educators, we all hold MPA in high regard. It is a great 

opportunity to receive adequate and legitimate feedback on our 

ensemble’s growth from year to year. 

As a young educator, MPA can be extremely intimidating. 

Because of this, we have encouraged our individual sections to 

have virtual “MPA Happy Hours” where educators can receive 

more information about the MPA process from experienced 

music educators and understand how to begin to prepare their 

ensembles and students for the MPA process. Please ask your 

section president to provide you with the location of those videos. 

Collegiate Presidential Chat 

In the 2022 Membership Comparative Report, we noticed 

our membership is beginning to grow to what it was before the 

pandemic. Analyzing the data, we also noticed that out of all of 

our membership, the section growing the least was the collegiate 

students; particularly at our Historically Black College and 

Universities (HBCUs). 

As a result, we have begun to have Presidential Chats where 

Susan Heiserman and I meet with collegiate music education 

majors via Zoom or face-to-face. During this time, we discuss the 

privileges of NCMEA membership, first year expectations, and 

the importance of instrumental and vocal method classes. I am 

very proud to report these students were engaged, eager to learn 

and asked many thought-provoking questions. I am very sure the 

future of music education is in good hands. 

Recently, I had the 

opportunity to present 

to the HBCU collegiate 

music educators and 

students at the 63rd 

Annual Intercollegiate 

Music Association 

(IMA) Conference. 

The IMA Conference 

was founded in 1960 as a vehicle for enriching and enhancing 

the development of the students of its member institutions; 

HBCU students from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and 

South Carolina. During this session, I had the opportunity to 

answer questions and debunk myths about local MEAs and their 

acceptance of HBCUs. 

Popular Music Committee 

I am sharing an excerpt from an article I wrote for the April 

Johnathan Hamiel 

2019 edition of NAFME’s Teaching Music entitled, “Every Child 

has a Song to Sing… Is Your Bias Silencing Your Classroom.” 

“As a music educator, one of the most detrimental 

things I hear students say is that he or she loves music 

but hates music class. Have we done these students a 

disservice by not accepting their music as art forms 

worthy of study? Rejecting your students’ music, to them, 

can mean not accepting them, their family history, or 

the culture and community of which they are a part. I 

challenge you to reflect on the practices that you use and 

to ask yourself whether they welcome and include each of 

your students in all of the demographic areas that your 

school serves. Are the art forms they cherish authentic 

to the culture represented? Is there evidence of cultural 

pluralism and different musical points of view? I challenge 

you to listen to the ideas and the music of your students!” 

I also wrote an article that was featured in the August 2021 

“Jam Session” in Teaching Music, which stated, “The most 

important thing I’ve learned from students during the pandemic 

is that an interested mind is an invested mind.” 

Why are these articles important or relevant now? We are 

at a precipice of a new era of music education. At a time where 

student interest in any subject is at an all-time low, one thing 

they are continually interested in is music. But are we listening to 

the voices of the students we serve? Better yet, how can we listen 

to the voices of the students not in our music classes? Who will 

speak for them? What are their thoughts and beliefs and why 

aren’t they in the room if they love music? Money? Access? In the 

aforementioned articles, I described how educators in any school 

in the country can see students with earphones on, listening to 

– and enjoying – music while going to class. Some of them are in 

music classes and some are not. 

We have to accept that everyone may not be interested in the 

traditional forms of music education. Just because they are not 

interested in the typical band, orchestra, and chorus setting does 

not mean they can’t participate in music education. So many 

students are making music with technology, on their phones or 

other types of platforms. 

As president of NCMEA, I feel it is our job to provide 

opportunities for students and teachers to share what they are 

creating and embrace their work! Music is the same, regardless 

of band, chorus, orchestra, or electronic and popular music. All 

sections are finding and creating new ways to manipulate sound, 

rhythm, form, melody, style, and texture. At our core, these 

values are the basic elements of music. 

With this in mind, and due to the ongoing trend of 

technology in music, it is with great honor and excitement that 

I would like to announce the formation of a new committee 

on the NCMEA Board of Directors! In January, the board 

voted unanimously to form a Popular Music Committee. This 

committee will be chaired by Dr. Jonathan Kladder, assistant 

professor of music education at UNC Wilmington. I am eager to 

see the positive impacts of this committee and how it brings more 

voices to our NCMEA table. 

Music in Our Schools 

Month 

It has been said, March enters in 

like a lion and goes out like a lamb. 

Well, the leadership of NCMEA have 

been ferocious when addressing our 

advocacy goals in music education. 

In March, we celebrate Music in 

Our Schools Month. For more 

than 30 years, March has been 

officially designated by the National 

Association for Music Education 

(NAfME) for the observance of 

Music in Our Schools Month® 

(MIOSM®), the time of year when 

music education becomes the focus of 

schools across the nation. 

In North Carolina, we had a 

series of performances across the 

state to celebrate MIOSM and bring 

awareness to our hard-working music 

educators, as well as highlight how 

music education changed our lives 

and the lives of our students. This 

year, we had a series of performances 

at NCDPI, which included: 

• March 9: Martin Middle School 

(Wake County), Allison Thomas, 

choral director 

• March 14: MScotland High Symphonic Band (Scotland 

County), Matthew Jorgensen, band director 

• March 16: W.J. Gurganus Elementary School (Craven 

County), Luana Palimetakis, music teacher 

• March 21: Walter Williams High School (Alamance County), 

Veronica Biscocho, orchestra director 

• March 22: Fox Road Elementary music students (Wake 

County, Monica Keele Jones, music teacher 

• March 29 (virtual): Nesbitt Discovery Academy (Buncombe 

County), Ben Sharp, orchestra director 

• March 23: W.B. Wicker Elementary School (Lee County), 

Hannah Kauffmann, music teacher 

NCDPI has been extremely supportive of music education. 

So much so that our State Superintendent Catherine Truitt has 

created a video to be shared with everyone about her story of 

going to a performing arts high school and playing piano as a 

child. She even mentioned her father, who is still a practicing 

music educator/band director at the age of 77. We look forward 

to collaborating with Superintendent Truitt and her goals as they 

pertain to the future of music education. 

We are very excited to bring you a new composition by Liz 

and Chris Betsch from Onslow County. If you perform this piece 

this year, don’t forget to add #MIOSM2023 to all of your social 

posts and to send the composers an email to let them know how 

their music has reached our community. The new music is free 

to download at the NCMEA website 

under MIOSM. 

This year MIOSM is even more 

special to NC music educators 

because Governor Roy Cooper 

has proclaimed March Music in 

Our Schools Month. We are very 

appreciative of Governor Cooper 

and his office as he supports the 

music educators, music students and 

music education in the state of North 

Carolina. 

Upcoming Events/ 

Webinars 

Guitar Literature – Guitar 

Method 

Books and 

Curriculum 

Resources 

Saturday, May 

20, 11a.m. – 

12p.m., ET 

There are 

dozens of guitar method books and 

resources available for teachers to use 

in their classrooms. But, which one 

would you pick? In this Zoom session, 

Chris Perez will discuss different method books available so you 

can tailor instruction to the needs of your guitar students and 

program. We will also review guitar method resources (scales, 

rhythms studies, warm-ups, solo/ensemble music and more) that 

may be immediately applied to your classroom teaching as well as 

the future. 

Listening To & Learning From Rural Music 

Educators 

Saturday, May 20, 9 – 11a.m., ET 

Music-teacher educators from UNC-Wilmington, East 

Carolina University, and Louisiana State University will facilitate 

a conversation to explore practical issues that K-12 music teachers 

face everyday. They will share findings from recent research 

as practical professional development, specifically designed 

to address the needs and guide next steps toward equity and 

excellence for rural music teachers and their students. If you are 

one of the many music educators in rural North Carolina, be sure 

to take advantage of this webinar for professional networking and 

learning opportunity! 


Using Technology 

to Enhance Your 

School Concert 

by Peter J. Perry, D.M.A. 

I 

will never take for granted the ability to sit down in person 

with other people and play music together. One thing the 

pandemic especially took away from musicians was this 

ability, and more specifically, the ability to perform together for 

our community. The excitement of having LIVE (non-virtual) 

performances is palpable for our students and audiences. Some 

performance mitigations that were previously necessary to get 

back to this point used technology and can actually be beneficial 

features to incorporate into our current and future programs. 

While many of us may have technology heartburn, below are 

two great ways to use some of the technology skills we acquired 

during the pandemic to enhance the student and audience concert 

experience (and make your life easier too). 

Digitize Your Concert Program 

A digital program 

is an online document 

located in the cloud 

containing your concert 

program. Typically, 

audience members access 

the program via Quick 

Response (QR) Code. 

Admittedly, I am late to 

the game on this. 

While I knew of 

other educators and 

some professional 

performance venues 

using digital programs, 

I did not even consider 

a digital program until I needed one that was contactless. I had 

my template set, timeline to print laid out, and liked the “feel” 

of a program in my hands during a performance (I still do). The 

digitized version, however, has a lot of positive aspects. 

Reprinted with permission from National Association for Music Education 

(NAfME). The original article published on May 19, 2022 can be found here. 

First and foremost, you can create a beautiful full-color 

concert program FOR FREE. Unless you have a connection with 

a commercial print shop this is nearly impossible with printed 

programs. It also is current with our societal technology trends 

and is sustainable (consider the box of unused programs that get 

recycled or trashed after each concert). Additionally, as a digitized 

document, you can make the program more dynamic. 

You can: 

Digital Program on CANVA, online publishing application 

• Add active links to your program’s website or social media 

feeds. 

• Link program notes to selections. 

• Spruce up the program with animated GIFs. 

• Accept donations to an online payment system (OPS). 

As a “living” 

document, you can 

continue to make 

edits to the program 

up to the concert’s 

downbeat. While I 

am not suggesting 

procrastination, we 

all have proofread a 

program a thousand 

times just to have an 

error brought up the 

night of the concert 

(after a thousand 

programs were printed). 

With the digital 

program, a simple edit fixes this problem and alleviates this worry 

– even if it is as you take your first bow. These are all impossible 

on physical paper. 

You can use any publishing or word processing application to 

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create your digital program. The end result, however, needs to be 

a non-editable file (like a PDF) that can be saved in the cloud (like 

on Google Drive, iCloud, etc.). Applications like Microsoft Word, 

Microsoft Publisher, Google Docs, Apple Pages, Adobe Elements, 

and Affinity Publisher are all great. 

You should use what you are most comfortable with. Learning 

a new application while preparing a concert performance is not 

the goal here. I use Canva. This is online and free. It requires 

you to create an account, but the use of the app is free. I like that 

Canva is an all-in-one tool that is user-friendly. It allows you to 

create beautiful professional-grade programs (there are plenty of 

templates) and saves them 

on its cloud storage to be 

accessed by your audience. 

Canva has plenty of other 

tools and templates that you 

can use to create dynamic 

social media posts publicizing 

the concert or create and 

print flyers and posters for 

the concert. 

Use QR Codes 

Quick Response (QR) 

codes have really taken off 

as a contactless method 

of accessing and sharing 

information via smart phone or tablet. Most portable devices have 

QR code readers built into them natively, and as QR code use has 

increased, more people are comfortable using them. I have been 

using QR codes for a while now. 

Specifically, I would use them to give parents my contact 

information and the music department website at back-to-school 

night. It has taken a while, but parents are much more comfortable 

and capable of using this method now. I have also always put 

the QR code for our music department website on the physical 

concert programs and posters. 

As mentioned before, to use digital programs you need to 

provide the program’s web address to the audience. Converting 

the web address to a QR code is a great way of doing this. I project 

the code on a screen via LCD projector throughout the concert as 

well as hang posters with the codes around the venue. Audience 

members just need to view the code with their device (typically 

with their smartphone or tablet camera) in order to access the 

program. 

QR Code 

QRCODE MONKEY Free Online QR Code Generator 

Administratively, I also use QR codes for 

signing students in and out the night of a 

concert. I use this tool for both attendance 

and as a grading measurement. I create a 

Google Form that collects the student names, 

ensembles, and student IDs. Each entry also 

creates a timecode which further enhances 

the record-keeping. This strategy is obviously one to use with 

older students who have mobile devices and are capable of using 

them this way. As with any class procedure, I find it is absolutely 

necessary to teach the students the right way to do this, and it is a 

process to finally get it totally right. 

To create a QR code, simply place the web address into a QR 

Code Generator. There are a many different ones online. Some 

cost money, some require you to create an account, but many do 

not. I like to use QR Code Monkey. Once the application generates 

the QR code, it then coverts it to a graphics file (typically PDF or 

PNG) you can download and use in your content material. 

The strategies explained 

here can streamline your 

concert preparation as 

well as enhance your 

concertgoers’ experience. I 

highly recommend trying 

one or both of these for 

your next concert. I do, 

however, also recommend 

that you do what is 

comfortable. 

Technology should 

help our process not 

hinder it. These strategies 

incorporate some 

pandemic teaching technology skills with the technology everyone 

carries around with them. Together, this tool can hopefully make 

your concert preparation less hectic and more productive. 

I outline these tips as well as many other ways to 

use technology in ensemble teaching on my website: 

www.peterperrymusic.net and in my book Technology Tips for 

Ensemble Teachers, published by Oxford University Press. Feel free 

to check them out. I hope these suggestions help. 

Have a great concert season! 

Peter Perry is a lifelong Maryland resident 

and has traveled the world teaching and 

performing music. A NAfME member, he is 

currently in his twenty-sixth consecutive year 

as Instrumental Music Director at Richard 

Montgomery High School in Rockville, 

Maryland. Here he conducts the: Chamber 

Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, 

Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert 

Band, and Marching Band. These ensembles consistently receive critical 

acclaim on local, state, and national levels. 

Follow Dr. Perry on Twitter: @peterperry101 or at 

www.peterperrymusic.net. 


O 

rchestra 

Joseph Walker, Chair 

Across the Districts 

We’ve made it through the busiest season of 

the school year. While I enjoy the plethora 

of auditions, honors ensembles, concerts, 

adjudications, etc., I always look forward to a brief 

respite over spring break. With traditional student events 

returning this year, I’ve found myself reflecting on why we 

offer such opportunities and why they are important for 

our students. 

Although weekend events are often exhausting for all 

involved, students who participate reap great rewards, 

both musically and extra-musically. Bravo to all of our 

event chairpersons and site hosts for organizing valuable 

experiences for our students, and a special thanks to our 

teachers for encouraging student participation. 

Many of you have recently attended the ASTA National 

Conference in Orlando, but I’d like to give a special 

shout-out to our NCMEA members who presented at the 

conference. Dr. Rebecca MacLeod of UNC Greensboro 

organized the conference; Scott Laird, Adrian Gordon, Laura 

Black, and Dr. Christen Blanton presented sessions; and the 

Ardrey Kell High School Chamber Orchestra, under the direction 

of Amanda Turner, performed in the National Orchestra Festival. 

Our section was well represented in Orlando! Amanda says 

she and her students had a great experience at the National 

Orchestra Festival, receiving valuable feedback from esteemed 

adjudicators, bonding as an ensemble, and especially playing the 

Ardrey Kell High School Chamber Orchestra 

fine instruments in the exhibit hall. Our section is proud of you 

for representing our state so well. 

Thinking ahead to next year, we will have a fantastic lineup 

of sessions for our Professional Development conference in 

November. We have several more sessions planned than in past 

years, and I hope I will see you there! Best wishes for a great 

ending to your school year. 

Music has healing power. It has the ability to 

take people out of themselves for a few hours. 

Elton John 

District 1 

District 1 is blooming with beautiful music this spring, with 

exciting all-district and all-county events, and musical celebrations 

for Music in Our Schools month! 

The Albemarle Area Middle Schools and High Schools hosted 

their annual “Albemarle Band Clinic” on March 24 – 25. This was 

a combined All-Area/All-State ensemble, consisting of students 

from Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Perquimans, and 

Chowan counties. This year, the middle school clinician was Nicky 

Pelzel, and the high school clinician was Crystal Cox. The clinic 

took place at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. 

The Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Schools All-County 

Elementary Choir performed at the Arts of the Albemarle 

on March 18. The seven elementary schools were conducted 

by Traniqua Felton, an ECPPS music teacher at Weeksville 

Elementary. 

On Thursday, April 27, Beaufort County will hold its annual 

All-County performance event, Steppin’ Out. This performing 

arts fundraiser is open to the public and will feature students 

from each of Beaufort County’s elementary, middle, and high 

schools. For example, Eastern Elementary School in Washington 

will be represented by a select group of approximately 40 first 

graders, performing a rhythmic recitation of the book, I Was 

Walking Down the Road, by Sarah Barchas, accompanied by body 

percussion and directed by Dawn Rockwell. 

Special congratulations to Pitt County educators Jade Siebert, 

G.R. Whitfield Orchestra; and Jenifer Hutson, E.B. Aycock 

Band. Siebert received over $25,000 from a Perkins Grant for 

instruments and classroom equipment. Hutson received over 

$30,000 from the Gloria and Arthur Konig Foundation for 

instruments and classroom equipment. 

Lisa Murray 

District 1 President 

District1@ncmea.net 

District 3 

Great music and events are happening across District 3 of the 

North Carolina Music Educators Association this year! In this 

busy spring semester, many of our teachers and programs find 

ourselves in the middle of preparation for North Carolina Music 

Performance Adjudication, All-District Band, and the first Eastern 

Regional Chorus (formerly All-State). 

In Chatham County, Rebecca Clemens, band director at 

Margaret B. Pollard Middle School, was recognized by Chatham 

County Schools with the Power of ONE Award. This award 

recognizes an individual who has had a powerful impact in 

shaping the direction of someone else’s life. At the recent Central 

Region Jazz Clinic, Rebecca Clemens was awarded Jazz Director 

of the Year for the Central Region. Elliott Peterson, choral director 

at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City, was named the 

Beginning Teacher of the Year for Chatham County Schools. 

District 3 was also happy to announce the opening of a new 

elementary school: Apex Friendship Elementary School. The 

school is off to a great start in music education with performances 

at the Apex Tree Lighting and the Apex Town Council. Apex 

Friendship Elementary School is under the direction and 

leadership of Jenni Sonstroem. 

Lastly, many District 3 programs were able to participate in the 

second annual East Carolina University’s Men’s Choir Festival on 

February 4, 2023. A combination of 78 high school singers and 

26 ECU chamber singers met in Greenville, to learn and perform 

exciting repertoire under the direction of Dr. James Franklin. 

The Men’s Choir Festival, fondly nicknamed “Dudefest” by Dr. 

Franklin, has doubled in participants in the second year and 

continues to nurture, teach and invest in the future of tenors and 

basses across eastern North Carolina. If your school or program 

would like to participate in “Dudefest” in the future, contact Dr. 

James Franklin or visit the ECU School of Music website. 

Andrew Childers 

District 3 President 

District3@ncmea.net 


Band 

As you prepare to end this school year with spring 

concerts and year-end celebrations, we should take 

time to reflect on a very busy and successful year for 

the NC Bandmasters Association. Our year culminated in the 

Honors Band Clinic and Concerts at UNC Greensboro. The 

three clinicians who worked with our students are wonderful 

conductors and educators. 

N.C. All-State Honors Band Clinicians 

Kim Bain 

Kim Bain is in her fifteenth year as director of bands at Louis 

Pizitz Middle School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. For 30 years, 

ensembles under her leadership have consistently been cited 

for musical excellence at both the state and national levels. In 

2015, Bain and the Louis Pizitz Symphonic Band performed at 

the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago. The band received 

the 2015 National Band Association’s Blue Ribbon Award of 

Excellence. They were selected as a recipient of the coveted John 

Philip Sousa Sudler Cup in 2013. The Pizitz Symphonic and 

Concert Bands also performed at the 2013 Music for All-National 

Middle School Music Festival in Indianapolis. 

Invitational performances include the 2014 performances 

at CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference and the 

Southeastern United States Middle School Clinic. In 2017, the 

Pizitz Jazz Band and Percussion Ensembles performed at the 

Alabama Music Educator’s Conference; and the Symphonic Band 

performed at the Music for All-Regional Festival in Atlanta. In 

2018, the Pizitz Band performed at the CBDNA/NBA Southern 

Division Conference. 

In 2018, Bain was presented the Lacey Powell Outstanding 

Music Educator Award by the Alabama Music Educators 

Association. She was awarded the Phi Bet Mu, Rho Chapter, 

Outstanding Bandmaster Award in 2014 and named Teacher of 

the Year for the Vestavia Hills City Schools in 2012. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in music education, a Master 

of Arts in music education, and an education specialist degree 

from the University of Alabama. She also holds a Master of Music 

Jim Kirkpatrick, Chair 

in saxophone performance from Bowling Green State University 

in Bowling Green, Ohio. 

Col. Timothy J. Holtan 

Col. Timothy J. Holtan retired in 2017 as the senior military 

musician in the Department of Defense. His final command was 

as the 10th Leader and Commander of The United States Army 

Band “Pershing’s Own.” He holds the distinction of being the only 

officer to command all three of the Army’s premier bands, which 

include the U.S. Army Field Band and the U.S. Military Academy 

Band at West Point. 

Holtan, a former school music educator in Montana, is a 

clinician for Conn-Selmer, Inc. and artistic director of the newly 

formed professional wind band, The Maryland Winds. He is a 

strong advocate for music education, enjoys substitute teaching, 

and is in demand as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. 

In 2000, Holtan was selected for the Army’s “Training with 

Industry” program. He served as the director of operations and 

associate conductor of the Dallas Winds, while concurrently 

pursuing doctoral studies at the University of North Texas. He 

holds music education degrees from Montana State University and 

the University of Montana. 

His ensembles have been seen on many nationally televised 

broadcasts and diverse stages, and for the 2017 Presidential 

Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Under his leadership, 

the West Point Band reestablished a partnership with the New 

York Philharmonic, which resulted in five Lincoln Center joint 

concert performances. Holtan also led the West Point Band in 

the Emmy-nominated PBS television production, Marina at West 

Point, reaching over 180 million viewers. 

He served for twelve years on the National Band Association 

board of directors and has received multiple Citations of 

Excellence. In 2011, he was the University of Montana’s School of 

Visual and Performing Arts “Odyssey of the Stars” honoree and 

was inducted into their Hall of Honor. 

Alfred L. Watkins 

Alfred L. Watkins is co-founder, musical director and 

conductor of the Cobb Wind Symphony, an adult community 

band in Marietta, Ga. In 2013, he concluded his 37-year career as 

a high school band director, including serving as director of bands 

at Lassiter High School in Marietta, for 31 years. 

He graduated Florida A&M University, with additional study 

in music education and conducting at Georgia State University. 

Ensembles under his batons have performed at the Midwest 

Band Clinic five times, and been featured band performers at 

the Music for All National Festival, the GMEA Convention, and 

at the College Band Directors/NBA Biennial Convention. The 

Lassiter Trojan Marching Band has performed in four Pasadena 

Tournament of Roses Parades and three Macy’s Thanksgiving Day 

Parades. They are two-time Bands of America Grand National 

Champions and winners of nine Bands of America Regional 

Champions. 

Watkins received the Edwin Franko Goldman Award from 

ASBDA and the Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor. He served 

as guest conductor of the World Youth Wind Symphony at 

the Interlochen Arts Camp, and the United States Army Band 

“Pershing’s Own.” In 2022, he was the recipient of the Outstanding 

Conductor Award from the Association of Concert Bands, and 

was awarded the Doctor of Music Education Honoris Causa from 

the VanderCook College of Music. 

Currently, Watkins is president and co-founder of the Minority 

Band Director National Association, Inc., an organization charged 

to serve, promote, celebrate and mentor minority band directors 

throughout the country. 

The entire North Carolina All-State Honors Band Clinic 

weekend would not be a success without the tireless work of the 

following dedicated professionals; please be sure to thank these 

directors for all the work they do to serve the North Carolina 

Bandmasters Association: 

Jamie Bream, Honors Band committee chair and 

past-president 

Ryan Ellefsen, Honors Band coordinator 

Rodney Workman, Honors Band treasurer 

Eddie Deaton, auditions coordinator 

Les Turner, O’Shae Best, and Kyler Zary, audition chairs 

Justin Sumners, auditions site host 

Olivia Spell, Wes Richardson and Tim Sale, clinic chairs 

Ruth Petersen, state webmaster 

Jonathan Caldwell and UNC Greensboro, clinic host 

People, Place, Purpose 

For more information visit www.brevard.edu/music or 

reach out to us at musicinfo@brevard.edu 


Award-Winning 

Jazz Educator 

in Our Own Backyard 

by Johnathan Hamiel & Tina Robinett 

In October 2022, Doctor Lenora Zenzalai Helm 

Hammonds, interim music department chair at North Carolina 

Central University, was the inaugural recipient of the Jazz 

Music Awards’ Jazz Educator Award of Distinction. The awards 

recognize people who have made lasting contributions to jazz. 

NCMEA president Johnathan Hamiel recently sat down with 

Helm Hammonds to discuss her career, jazz and her recent award. 

What made you choose jazz? 

One of the things that my dad always taught me was to watch 

the crowd and go the other way. So my friends and peers in high 

school, they all liked the kind of music we listened to growing up: 

pop, R&B, soul, gospel…. I was in an R&B band. Only a handful 

of people liked jazz. I thought it was interesting music. The people 

I listened to who played jazz music, to me it was like mental chess. 

Musical chess. I didn’t want to do something that seemed simple 

and was just about shaking it on the dance floor. 

I thought it was intelligent music. I thought it was music 

that had good stories. I felt like it was the music of a culture that 

represented all of the diaspora. I thought it represented American 

excellence. 

I couldn’t articulate that at 15, which is the age when I chose 

jazz for myself, but I knew it was a special thing. My hair would 

stand up on the back of my neck when I would hear Billie Holiday 

or John Coltrane. And I thought, what is it about what they’re 

doing that makes them sound like that. 

Can you share your experience as a jazz educator, as 

a performer, and as a black female. How has that been 

maneuvering around the jazz world as a performer, educator 

and as a black female? 

I’m often the one and only. Right now, in my department, in 

terms of jazz women performers, I’m the only one that’s black. 

There’s a classical musician who’s on the research side of our jazz 

studies degree, but the performers are all men. 

In terms of jazz educators, when I go to jazz conferences, like 

Jazz Education Network (JEN), think 

how many black, jazz women educators 

who are senior administrators at their 

university. 

[There aren’t many], and so what 

that does to a student body is that 

you’re a unicorn. And sometimes, the 

incredulousness that comes with it… I 

had a peer, a chair of a department from 

another university, and I introduced 

myself to them at an event, and told 

them I enjoyed their performance. 

And they said oh, okay, you’re chair, like someone’s trying to 

figure it out. And I said yes, I wanted to see your performance 

this coming weekend, but I won’t be able to because I have a 

composition commission of my own, and I’ll be going out of town 

for that with a string quartet, and a vibraphone and myself. 

And he said, and you’re a composer? I said, yeah, and he said, 

but I thought you were a singer. And I said yes. So that thing of 

“but I thought you were a singer,” meaning the dissonance on his 

face of I’m a singer, I’m a composer, like that doesn’t work together. 

Maybe I should be a singer/songwriter. But the dissonance of that, 

“And you’re chair, right?” 

So, what that does to you, what Kimberly Crenshaw talks about, 

that intersectionality where people don’t have an idea of that nexus 

of “Oh, we hire women at our university.” “Oh yeah, and we hire 

blacks. We have this black man…” Or, “We hire diverse groups of 

people.” But the intersection of who I am is a dissonance for a lot of 

people. 

What that means is, you’re always working. You have to work 

twice as hard, and go faster, longer, better. What that means in the 

education space for our young people is they can’t be what they 

don’t see. 

I’m always navigating that intersection from my cultural 

self, my professional self as a scholar in a university setting, in 

a category and genre where the classical side of the house is 

watching to see if I’m going to give enough love and pay attention 

to everybody. My classical counterpart’s predecessors didn’t have 

to do that. They just had to not be a barrier, but they didn’t have to 

prove themselves. 

So I have to have the kind of countenance of I’m a human being 

who’s a musician. I’m a scholar and I’ve 

earned my work. That’s why I’ve pushed 

so hard to get my degree working full 

time. When I started as an adjunct 

A huge part of jazz is 

improvisation. What is the first 

thing you think about during an 

improvisation? 

The melody. Then I’m listening for 

who’s playing with me. So I know who’s 

going to respond with me. 

When you’re at a party, if you’re at a table, having drinks and 

food with friends, you start to match the energy of the way people 

are talking, what they’re talking about , how loud to be, if you laugh 

of whatever. You don’t just come in gangbusters and bring a whole 

different energy that doesn’t match. 

So beyond the melody, I’m listening to who my partners 

are, and then it’s what story do I want to tell? I think it’s terribly 

disrespectful to the audience to go in there ready, with a whole 

thing. 

Tell us about the Jazz Award, and what it felt like to win. 

I was astounded! It was the inaugural one, so it was really 

special to be the first one. But the Jazz Music Award is meant to 

UNCG Summer Music Camp 

Week 1: July 9–14, 2023 and Week 2: July 16–21, 2023 

Openings remain for select instruments. For more information 

and the online application, visit smcamp.uncg.edu. 

Audition Dates for 2023–24 

December 2, 2023 February 10, 2024 

January 27, 2024 February 24, 2024* 

*priority deadline for scholarship/assistantship consideration 

Degree Programs 

Bachelor of Arts 

Bachelor of Music 

Music Minor 

Master of Music 

Doctor of Musical Arts 

Doctor of Philosophy 

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 

Post-Masters Certificate 

be an answer to the GRAMMY awards, but for jazz artists. They 

organized the event in Atlanta and it felt like the Jazz GRAMMY’S. 

So to be the first one to receive the Jazz Educator Award of 

Distinction was amazing. It was surreal. So much so, that when 

I got the email, I read it quickly and 

thought they wanted me to present an 

award to someone.” And my husband 

said, “No, Lee, read it again. They’re 

giving you the award.” And I just wept. 

Being there was like being 

Cinderella. It was just amazing. After 

that, a lot of people… it’s so weird 

how getting an award like that, all of 

a sudden people take you a little more 

seriously. Or like I’ve been trucking 

along all this time. So it felt really good 

to be recognized for the work so far, four decades in. 

What performance are you most proud of, whether it’s your 

performance individually, or a student performance? 

My Vocal Jazz Ensemble performed at JEN a couple of years 

ago. The African American Jazz Caucus (AAJC) gave us the 

spotlight that year as the AAJC Spotlight Group. We had standing 

room only, and my students (from NCCU) showed out. They left 

no prisoners. Afterwards, our peers came up and said such great 

things. The elders in AAJC came up and said, “yes, you made us 

proud!” But those students showed them what it sounds like when 

you are proud of singing music from the diaspora. For my students, 

that was my favorite performance. 


Elementary 

Joseph Girgenti, Chair 

UNCW DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC STUDENTS 

uncw.edu/music 

MAKING MUSIC. 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 

This is a busy time for us with final concert planning, 

graduations, assessments, and more. That is another reason 

why I’m so excited about our annual Spring Elementary 

Mini-Conference at UNC Wilmington on Saturday, April 22. 

Our theme for the conference and the remainder of the year is 

Connect, Collaborate, Reinvigorate. I chose those three words to 

serve as our pillars for rebuilding in a post-pandemic society. 

Connect: We need to focus on our 

connections with each other. As music 

specialists, we often feel like we’re on 

an island. However, let’s find ways to 

connect with others for the betterment 

of ourselves and our students. 

Collaborate: This is the perfect time 

to collaborate. Some of the best lessons 

and techniques come when teachers 

work together and bring their own 

strengths to the party. 

Reinvigorate: I challenge you to find 

something that brings you joy and gets 

you excited to teach every day. We have 

a great panel of presenters, including 

practicing elementary teachers and 

college professors. Here are the amazing 

sessions you will be able to attend: 

• Discover and Connect! Activities 

to Blend Music and Language 

Learning in your Classroom; Dr. 

Katy Strand 

• Tools for Meeting the Needs of 

Neurodiverse Students in the Music Room; Evelyn Snyder 

• Creative Movement: An Avenue for Musical Collaboration 

and Connections; Dr. Dan Johnson 

• Boomwhacker Fun; Dr. Ran Whitley 

• Play Like You Mean It: Building Musical Literacy Through 

Active Participation; Dr. Amanda Hoke and Jessica Lequire 

• Give Me 5 for Special Needs Students; Wendy Hardin 

• Ideas for Incorporating Everyday Improvisation; Laura 

Black 

On-site registration is available and the event will have both an 

in-person and virtual option. Virtual participants will receive zoom 

links for each session prior to the event. The Elementary board is 

excited to offer lunch, included in the registration fee. All college 

music education students are able to attend for free. 

We are also planning our fall NCMEA Conference. In addition 

to bringing some world class presenters, we are excited to be 

bringing back student performances 

to the elementary schedule. This is a 

perfect opportunity to showcase what 

you and your students do. While the 

application has closed for this year, 

please keep this on your radar for the 

2024 conference. 

Do you receive our quarterly 

newsletter, Elementary Music Matters? 

Our most recent issue included 

district updates, summer learning 

opportunities, grants, information on 

Mini-Conference, and so much more. 

If you have not been receiving our 

newsletters, please contact me or your 

district representative. You can also find 

all of our newsletters here. 

Speaking of summer learning, 

we already know of some awesome 

things happening in North Carolina. 

Summerfield Elementary School in the 

Greensboro area will be offering World 

Music Drumming Level 1 & 2 from June 

13 – 16. UNC Wilmington is offering 

Orff Levels I & II, June 19 – 30. 

On-site registration is available. 

As we continue to build our network across the state, we are 

still looking for teachers to volunteer as county contacts. County 

contacts are some of our biggest assets, communicating with the 

teachers in your area and our board. If communication is one of 

your strengths, we want you for these positions! 

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, 

comments, or concerns at elementary_section@ncmea.net. 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDY 

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN MUSIC EDUCATION 

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC 

PERFORMANCE: 

instrumental piano vocal 

GENERAL MUSIC 

JAZZ STUDIES 

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY 

910.962.3415 

uncwmus@uncw.edu 

UNCW is an EEO/AA Institution. 

Accommodations for disabilities may be requested 

by contacting the Disabilities Resource Center at 910.962.7555 at least seven days 

20 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR prior to the event. NORTH Questions CAROLINA regarding MUSIC UNCW’s EDUCATOR Title IX compliance | 21 

should be directed to titleix@uncw.edu. 

MINORS 

choral music · general music 

jazz studies · musical theatre 

AUDITIONS 

SPRING 2023 

Saturday, January 14 

Saturday, February 4 

Saturday, February 25 

Saturday, March 18 

Saturday, March 25 

virtual auditions

work on at home. 

Middle School Choral 

Emily Turner, Chair 

Recharge and Renew 

You know those colleagues in your county, or friends at state 

conference who you always tell, “We HAVE to get together soon”? 

Make the time as your after-school responsibilities wind down, 

or plan to meet over the summer. You can each share a successful 

lesson or a piece of repertoire or two, but plan to specifically take 

time to talk about non-musical things! Get the benefit of time with 

like-minded colleagues and new ideas for the year to come! 

Orff Institute | Levels I & II 

June 19-30, 2023 

Wilmington, North Carolina 

Since 

2004 

Many of you have shared beautiful concerts by now 

and are in the last few weeks of school. Let me be 

among the first to wish you heartfelt congratulations 

on a successful year! The work you are doing in and out of your 

classrooms to serve your students is immense, and can feel like 

it often goes unnoticed. The work you do for the betterment of 

your students and their development as choral musicians is so 

important, and you are a treasure to our state and the choral music 

community. 

Here are 4 R’s that I hope will help you get the most out of the 

end of your school year and summer: 

Recruitment and Retention 

Host a “Bring a Friend to Choir” Event 

Rehearse new songs so that everyone, including your seasoned 

choir member, is learning on the same level. Make sure whatever 

you choose is something the students can fully learn in your 

designated time frame so everyone feels accomplished and proud 

when they leave your event. 

• Try a piece from the Justice Choir Songbook, which you 

can download with a suggested $10 donation from 

www.justicechoir.org/songbook/ 

• Check out some new rounds. 

Celebrate Your Students’ Wonderful Accomplishments 

• Host an ice cream social and have each student sign up to 

bring in toppings. 

• Put your sections against one another in “Minute To Win It” 

games. 

• Watch your concert video and have your students fill out the 

MS MPA Large Ensemble Rubric. 

Play Games! 

Don’t forget about those musical games that you always put off 

until after the concert! Take time to enjoy them with your classes. 

Here are a few of my students’ favorites: 

• Pass the Beat Around the Room 

• Encore – similar to the Pitch Perfect a capella riff offs, students 

make teams and go back and forth singing songs with a 

specific word in the lyrics or title. 

• Rhythm Cups 

• Solfege Improv – have your students stand in a circle and 

designate the solfege syllables you’ll be using for the round. 

You can work on specific intervals, or let the entire scale be 

used for the game, whichever your students may need. For 

the example, we will only be using do-mi-sol. Each singer 

performs a pattern of the designated solfege syllables using 

the last syllable of the singer before them. Here’s an example: 

Student 1: do-mi-sol 

Student 2: sol-sol-mi 

Student 3: mi-sol-do 

Student 4: do-sol- do, etc… 

When this starts to feel easier for your students, experiment 

with longer patterns or even rhythmic patterns. You can also 

remove the solfege and choose a neutral vowel or syllable, 

which can eventually get them scatting without knowing it! 

Ready Yourself for Next Year 

• File away your octavos 

– Have students help on exam days, or when attendance is 

low due to field trips or testing schedules. 

• Make sub plans for both teaching and non-teaching 

substitutes. 

– Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is a wonderful, inexpensive 

resource. 

• Think about your concerts for next year. Do you have any 

themes in mind? 

– If possible, go ahead and schedule your performances, dress 

rehearsals, etc. 

– Use the last bit of monies for this school year to purchase 

octavos for the upcoming school year. 

• Purchase and teach the MS Honors Chorus piece now, so they 

can practice it over the summer. The audition piece is always 

announced at the Middle School All-State event and posted to 

the NCMEA website following the event. 

– Create rehearsal tracks for your students to take home. 

– Send home old sight reading examples for your students to 

Need a refresher on takadimi? Hoping to see some 

new repertoire for next year? There are lots of Professional 

Development (PD) opportunities in our state, where you can 

renew your love for choral music, while simultaneously learning 

new skills or refreshing your technique. We’ll be adding some PD 

opportunities specific to North Carolina on the Middle School 

Section of the NCMEA website, so be sure to take a look! 

Rest and Relax 

Take this well-deserved time off to rest and do nice things for 

yourself and your loved ones. Binge that streaming series or take 

the vacation without your computer! Do things that feed your soul 

and make you happy! This time of rest and relaxation will help 

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3 


High School Choral 

Aleisa Baker, Chair 

Technology 

Howie Ledford, Chair 

We are well on our way to closing out another school 

year. If you’re like me, you may be knee deep in musical 

preparations, auditions for next year’s choral ensembles 

and/or choosing repertoire for your spring concert. It’s a busy, busy 

time. Nonetheless, I relish the final months with my seniors. 

Granted, this is when seniors are DONE. Keeping them 

engaged is a tough task, but many of these singers have given four 

years of their high school life to our choral family and they deserve 

a special way to remember the end. I have adopted a few traditions 

for them once our spring concert is complete. 

Years ago, I saw this idea and adopted it for my seniors. Each 

year, I purchase white paper gift bags. I give them each a day or 

two to decorate their bag that makes it identifiable as theirs. Many 

decorate it with the college they have chosen or an activity or sport 

from their high school life. 

Then, for the last week or two of classes, these bags are on a 

table in the chorus room. Students can leave something special if 

they wish for each senior in their bag. Many just write short notes 

or good luck wishes. It can be a card or sticky note. Some even put 

small treats in each bag. I add a note, as well as a copy of a special 

poem we share as a class each year, and a picture of our choir 

family for them. I bring these bags to our graduation practice. They 

have not seen what’s in them, so watching them open them in what 

is one of our last times together is something I cherish. 

The second tradition isn’t as serious, but is something they look 

forward to a lot – especially if they’ve been in choir all four years. 

After our spring concert, we spend rehearsal time by allowing 

each senior to pick one song we have performed while they were 

in high school. I pull it from our music library and we all sing it. 

For many, it is sight reading, but for each senior, it is a few minutes 

to remember one of their best choir memories. It is often silly and 

convoluted, but the outcome is well worth the chaos. (Employing 

younger singer’s music literacy skills, is not a bad by-product!) 

Our sense of family is something we work hard to cultivate. 

We all have our own traditions and they are just small pieces of 

that cultivating. Nonetheless, each of these moments not only 

give memorable closure for those seniors, but leave an indelible 

impression on the younger singers, waiting their turn to make 

memories for themselves. Large or small, it’s all priceless. I wish 

you well as you and your students close out the school year in your 

special way! 

The North Carolina Music Educator sincerely apologizes for 

inadvertently excluding a High School Choral award winner. We 

proudly recognize Trip McGill as an inductee to the NCMEA High 

School Choral Section Hall of Fame. 

NCMEA HS Choral Section Hall of Fame 

Trip McGill 

Trip McGill retired from Ashbrook High 

School in Gastonia, where he taught for 30 years. 

Prior to this, he spent three years as the choral 

director at North Gaston High School, and 12 at 

Holbrook Jr. High School. He was also with the 

Gaston County Choral Ensemble for 36 years; 

four years as the accompanist and 32 as the director. He is very 

involved with church music, and has been an accompanist and 

church choir director since 1975. He’s served as the Bonclarken 

co-camp director or assistant director since 1988. 

Nominator Philip Biedenbender, said of McGill, “Every day 

in his classroom, Trip McGill exemplified his favorite quote from 

Helen Kemp: ‘body, mind, spirit, voice’. Mr. McGill understood 

that it takes each one of these elements to make a complete singer 

and human and he ensured all his students knew it as well.” 

McGill earned his Bachelor of Arts from Erskine College with 

post graduate work done at Winthrop University and Converse 

College. He served on the Gaston County Music Educator’s 

Foundation board for 30 years, as a festival clinician, and serves 

as an adjudicator for NCMEA MPAs. 

While at Ashbrook High School, his choirs participated in 

the Mars Hill Choral Clinic and Festival, the ACDA Southern 

Division Regional Honors Choirs, N.C. Honors Chorus, Furman 

University Choral Extravaganza, Worldstrides Carnegie Hall 

Festival Choirs, and have taken 14 European Tours. 

His awards list is long and includes accolades like Holbrook 

Junior High School Teacher of the Year, Ashbrook High School 

Teacher of the Year, Gaston County Teacher of the Year, and 

received the order of the Long Leaf Pine. 

Nominator Melissa Glover said, “Trip has mentored many 

new teachers and shaped them into the choral music educators 

they are today. Many of Trip’s former students are teachers today 

and he continues to have an impact by visiting classrooms and 

offering support to teachers in the classroom.” 

Technology is a tool the teacher uses. I invite you to think 

about what the scope of technology is. For many, this will be 

foreign territory. Technology is so ingrained in our lives that 

we don’t think about it. So, let’s take a few minutes to consider this 

thing we call music technology. 

What falls under the realm of music technology? Take fifteen 

minutes and write down everything you can think of. 

Here is my list in no particular order. Beside them I have listed 

examples of what they are in case you do not know them from 

experience in your classroom. 

• Notation Software: Sibelius, Finale, MuseScore, and Dorico 

• Microphones: SM57 and 58, AT 2020, and Neumann U87 

• Mixers: Allen and Heath QU-32, Berhinger X32, Midas Pro, 

DigiCo 006 

• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): Soundtrap, Soundation, 

Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Logic, and Cubase 

• Digital Audio Interfaces (DAI): Scarlett 2i2, UAD Apollo, 

MOTU 828, etc… 

• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Canvas, Google 

Classroom, and Schoology 

• Drum Machines: TR-808 

• Guitar Amps: Fender, Marshall, Orange, etc. 

• Cables: Mogami, Livewire, Whirlwind, etc. 

• Networking Protocols: Dante, MADI, AES 50 

• Digital Instruments and Controllers: TR-808, Ableton Push, 

Launchpads, Nektar 49, etc. 

24 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR | 25 

• Cell Phones 

• DJ Turntables and Controllers 

• Analog and Digital Synthesizers: Moog Model D, Prophet 6, 

Oberheim, Arturia, etc. 

• Samplers 

• Digital Service Providers: Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, etc. 

This list is nowhere close to being complete. The umbrella of 

music technology is very wide. Think about the students you have 

in your classroom. Let’s be honest for a minute. Not every child is 

going to be the principal player for a symphony orchestra or get a 

military band gig. You’re going to have students who are going to 

be engineers, computer programmers, DJs, physicists, artisans, and 

every other profession known to man in your classroom. 

Many of us never stop to think that the student who will 

develop the latest and greatest song recognition algorithm is sitting 

in our classrooms. Many of us never think that the person who will 

mix a Grammy award-winning album will sit in our room. The 

umbrella of music is a wide one. 

Under network protocols, I mentioned Dante Protocols. Over 

a Dante-enabled network, the sound can actually travel faster 

than the speed of sound. Here is an example. The set player is 

playing and they hit a snare drum. The sound hits the microphone 

connected to a Dante system, and sends it through the system and 

back to them in their headphones. The time it took for the sound to 

reach the headphones can be faster than the actual time it took for 

the snare drum sound to reach their ears. 

A musician who was a network engineer thought of that. They 

sat in a band, choir, orchestra, popular, or general music classroom. 

They sat with some teacher who taught them about the joy of 

music. This is their contribution to the music world. 

So, as we think about the overarching umbrella of technology 

in music education, we also need to think about the overarching 

umbrella of education. How we use this technology can shape 

students’ careers and lives. We can influence the world of music in 

ways we do not even realize. The students who are developing the 

future music technology of the world are in our classrooms. 

New Technology Co-Chair 

I am pleased to announce Julian Wilson as the new 

Music Technology co-chair. Julian is working on a master’s 

in instructional technology from North Carolina Central 

University. He graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1991. He 

is the band director at Yorkchester Middle School in Gaston 

County. Many of you have seen his clinics at the NCMEA 

Professional Development Conference. He is certified in a 

host of platforms. One of his main focuses is on curriculum 

development for the music classroom. I am delighted he has 

accepted this role, and I look forward to working with him.

883-C Washington Street 

Raleigh, NC 27605 

NAfME 

GRASSROOTS 

ACTION CENTER 

Add Your Voice to the Legislative Process 

On the NAfME Grassroots Action Center page, you can: 

• Support music education in federal education policy 

• Get involved with the legislative process 

• Engage your members of Congress 

Go to bit.ly/NAfMEgrassroots (case-sensitive) and 

take action today. 

26 | NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC EDUCATOR

Spring 2023

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