Volume 75 Number 1 Fall 2014

Transcription

Volume 75
Number 1
Fall 2014
Why Won’t Boys Sing?
Attributional beliefs and Choir Enrollment of Preadolescent Boys
Results
3
In Memoriam
Dale Shaffner, p. 3
Choir Enrollment
Paul Remsey, p. 4
Stephen Partin, p. 4
Figure 1 shows that of the 196 students at the school, 54% of girls enrolled in
4
Editor’sGeorgia
Mailbox
Musicians at Nashville
choir, while only 11% of boys enrolled in choir. This dramatic difference exemplifies the
very problem of male enrollment that many schools face.
Georgia Student Named to Army Band
CNAfME Advocacy Day Announced
Joshua N. Pedde,
p. 20
Maribeth Gail
Yoder-White, p. 20
7
Association
GMEA Board Minutes, p. 11
GMEA Budget, p. 13
Division
Statewide Sixth-Grade Honor Choir, p. 20
15 22
Focus on Instruction
Why Won’t Boys Sing? p. 22
Why Won’t Boys Sing? p. 22
Figure 1
Cobb County
Reflections on Method Book
Selection, p.in30Music
Self-Concept
Male
Singers,
Selecting Secular Music for the Public High School Chorus, p. 34
p. 41
Behavior Management Through
Middle
School
Students’
Eyes, p.37
The
averages
shown
in Figure
2 demonstrate how boys’ self-concepts are tied to
41
DistrictBestNewsPractice Trend in Cobb County, p. 41
their enrollment in choir. When comparing the SCIM averages of boys and girls, there
was an unsurprising significance (p= <.0001) between the girls’ higher average of 0.675
Georgians Speak at Midwest Clinic, p. 42
and the boys’ average of 0.540. Table 1 shows results from a correlation matrix and
49
University News
New Faculty Announced, p. 49
highlights the attributional beliefs with significant relationships to SCIM.
The Changing Georgia Scene, p. 58
60
Historical
Profile
The Seventh All-State Event, p. 60
Columbus State UniversityWind Ensemble, p. 56
George Corradino, p. 60
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Alfred Music/Make Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Georgia State University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover
Armstrong State University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Lee University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Berry College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Quaver Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Columbus State University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
University of Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover
D’Addario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
University of West Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Georgia Regents University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
University of West Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Georgia Southern University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Georgia Southern University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Young Harris College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
GEORGIA MUSIC NEWS, VOL. 75, NUMBER 1, FALL 2014
1
GEORGIA MUSIC NEWS
(ISSN) 0046-5789
Published Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer by the GEORGIA MUSIC EDUCATORS,
INC. at 218 Willis Drive, Stockbridge, GA 30281. Subscription for members $4.00 per
year as part of annual MENC/GMEA dues. Subscription for nonmembers $16.00 per
year. POSTMASTER: SEND FORM 3579 TO GEORGIA MUSIC NEWS,
218 Willis Drive, Stockbridge, GA 30281.
Editor
Mary Leglar, School of Music, University of Georgia, 250 River Road, Athens, GA
30602; (o) 706-542-3737, (h) 706-769-7491, (f ) 706-542-2773,
(email) [email protected]
GMEA Headquarters
218 Willis Drive, Stockbridge, GA 30281, 678-289-9299, (fax) 678-289-9250,
www.gmea.org
GMEA Board: Executive Committee
President: Frank Folds, 565 Georgian Hills Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30045,
(o) 770-736-5762, (f ) 770-982-6942, (email) [email protected]
President-Elect: John Odom, 240 Browns Hill Ct., Tyrone, GA 30290,
770-486-2710 (email) [email protected]
Immediate Past President: Mary Land, 231 High Trail Vista Circle, #20111,
Jasper, GA 30143, (o) 706-253-1830 ext.353, (f ) 706-253-1835, (email)
[email protected]
Vice President for Performance Evaluations: Carl Rieke, Ola Middle School,
353 N Ola Rd., McDonough, GA 30252, (o) 770-715-0955, (f ) 770-288-2114,
Vice President for All State Events: Kerry Bryant, 2503 Olney Falls Dr.,
Braselton, GA 30517, (o) 678-425-0979, (email) [email protected]
Past Presidents’ Council Representative: Bernadette Scruggs, 1395 Midland
Way, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, (o) 770-495-5413, (f ) 678-957-3108,
Executive Director (non-voting): Cecil Wilder, 218 Willis Drive, Stockbridge, GA
30281, (o)678-289-9299, (f )678-289-9250, (email) [email protected]
GMEA Board: Division Chairs
Band: Neil Ruby, 113 Central Road, Carrollton, GA 30116, 770-832-7527,
Choral: Jeff Funderburk, DeKalb School of the Arts, 1192 Clarendon Avenue,
Avondale, Estates, GA 30002, (o) 678-676-2564, (f ) 678-676-2510,
ElementAry: Karen R. Leamon, 4199 Liberty Pointe Lane, Auburn, GA 30011,
Music Education College Division: Carol Benton, Dept. of Art,
Music, Theatre, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA 31419, (o) 912-344-2822,
Orchestra: Nicole L. Thompson, 295 Oakmere Drive, Alpharetta, Ga 30009,
(o) 678-234-1554, (email) [email protected]
Piano: Donna S. Dasher, 32 Magnolia Marsh Dr., Richmond Hill, GA 31324,
GMEA Board: District Chairs
District 1: Kenza Murray, 1100 Ebenezer Rd., Rincon, GA 31326,
(h) 912-728-8257, (o) 912-754-6404 x1245, (f ) 912-754-6893,
District 2: Andrew C. Bell, 2153 Highway 280 W., Cordele, GA 31015, (h) 229-322-1028,
(o) 229-276-3430 x2209, (f ) 229-276-3436, [email protected]
District 3: Jonathan Carmack, 7611 Whitesville Road, Columbus, GA 31904,
423-741-2130, (email) [email protected]
District 4: D. Alan Fowler, 10245 Eagle Drive, Covington, GA 30014,
District 5: Carolyn Landreau, 9310 Scott Road, Roswell, GA 30076, 770-650-4230,
District 6: Samuel Miller, 800 N. Moseley Dr., Stockbridge, GA 30281,
District 7: Bob Steelnack, 326 Mount Alto Rd. SW, Rome, GA 30165,
(h) 706-331-5187, (o) 706-236-1844 x7644, (f) 706-236-1846, [email protected]
District 8: Catheryn Shaw, 2379 Copeland Rd., Valdosta, GA 31601, 229-2452280, (email) [email protected]
District 9: Pat Gallagher, 1010 Turner Rd., Jasper, GA 30143, (h) 770-289-5943,
(o) 706-253-1800 x 154, (f ) 770-289-5943, [email protected]
2
District 10: Gene Hundley, 108 Pate Street, Swainsboro, GA 30401,
(h) 912-687-3078, (o) 478-237-5104, (f) 478-237-7296, [email protected]
District 11: Lloyd McDonald, 1127 Alderly Lane, Warner Robins, GA 31088,
(h) 770-241-3842, (o) 478-953-0430 x3444, (f ) 478-953-0438,
[email protected]
District 12: Paula Krupiczewicz, 3400 Hwy 293 North, Kennesaw, GA 30144,
(h) 601-818-0387, (o) 770-975-6685 x303, [email protected]
District 13: Lee Newman, 5300 Spalding Dr., Norcross, GA 30092,
District 14: Dion Muldrow, 1300 Cedar Shoals Drive, Athens, GA 30605,
GMEA Board: Appointed Members (Member-at-Large)
Member-at-Large: Skip Taylor, 1601 Oconee Crossing Circle, Watkinsville, GA
30677, (o) 706-461-3696, (f ) 706-542-2776, (email) [email protected]
Member-at-Large: Sue McDonald, 1127 Alderly Lane, Warner Robins, GA 31088,
(o) 478-929-7814, (h) 478-333-3046, (email) [email protected]
Editor, Ga. Music News: Mary Leglar, 1081 Ramblewood Pl., Watkinsville,
GA 30677, (o) 706-542-2755, (f ) 706-542-2773, (email) [email protected]
CNAfME Advisor: David Gregory, 10313 Big Canoe, Big Canoe, GA 30143,
(h) 706-268-1875, (o) 770-720-9207, (f ) 706-268-1865, (email) [email protected]
Department of Education Representative: Joe Searle, Governor’s Honors
Program, 1862 Twin Towers, Atlanta, GA 30334, (o) 404-657-0183,
(f ) 404-657-7096, (email) [email protected]
Appointed Members (Nonvoting)
Georgia School Boards Association: Julia Bernath, 210 Lackland Ct., Atlanta,
GA 30350, (email) [email protected]
Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals: Hal Ridley,
2633 Hwy. 120, Tallapoosa, GA 30176, (o) 770-646-8600, (f ) 770-646-0108,
Georgia School Superintendents Association: Rob Johnson, Laurens County
Schools, 467 Firetower Rd., Dublin, GA 31021, (o) 478-272-4767,
Georgia Association of Educational Leaders: Mark Wilson,
1231 College Drive, Madison, GA 30650, (o) 706-342-2336,
Georgia Association of School Music Dealers: Harry Bergwall, 119 Cobb Pkway
N., Marietta, GA 30062, 678-361-5877, (email) [email protected]
Committee Chairs (Non-Board)
Music in our Schools Month: Darlene Guida, 542 Oak Trail, Hampton,
GA 30228, (o) 770-473-2790, (f ) 770-603-5198, (email) [email protected]
Professional Standards and Ethics Chair: Jay Wucher, 1133 River Green Ct.,
McDonough, GA 30252, (h) 770-288-2174, (email) [email protected]
Government Relations: Peter Lemonds, 2390 Meadow Falls Lane, Duluth,
GA 30097, (h) 770-814-2601, (o) 770-232-3393, (f ) 770-232-3332,
Historian/Archivist: Derik Clackum, 333 Liberty Church Rd., Ranger, GA 30734,
(h) 770-861-2580, (email) [email protected]
Technology: Pat Gallagher, 1010 Turner Rd., Jasper, GA 30143, (h) 770-289-5943,
(o) 706-253-1800 x 154, (f ) 770-289-5943, [email protected]
Research: John Wayman, 1314 Heathers Cove Circle, Hiawassee, GA 30546, (h)
214-454-3691, [email protected]
Retired Members: Fritz Siler, 3110 Deer Chase Ct. SW, Snellville, GA 30039,
(h) 770-978-1287, (o) 678-336-3351, (f ) 678-336-3399, (email) [email protected]
Mentoring Chair: Herb Cox, 720 W. Hembree Crossing, Roswell, GA 30076,
(h) 770-475-1710, [email protected]
Tri-M Advisor: Charles Hernandez, 224 Welsh Trail, Macon, GA 31216,
(h) 478-290-8877, (o) 478-779-3064, (f ) 478-779-3045,
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Deadlines: July 20, September 20, February 10, March 20
Copyright © 2014 by the Georgia Music Educators Association
Printing by Southeastern Color Lithographers, Athens, GA
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
What’s “playing” in the education world?
At the moment, the popular recordings
(those with badly worn grooves) include
standards-based curriculum, criteria-based
teacher evaluation systems, “one-size-fits-all”
instruction, EdTPA, merit pay, rubrics, and
lists of “Best Practices.”
Do we detect a theme emerging?
Ah yes!
It’s teacher accountability—with emphasis
on testing to establish it. Not that we mind
being tested—it’s part of life—but we do (if
I’m hearing teachers correctly) occasionally
find the process troublesome and annoying.
Student progress, measured by highstakes testing, can certainly be an indicator
of an effective teacher. Likewise, striving to
meet standards is not a bad idea (I believe in
high standards—and as do most teachers).
However, when excessive and cumbersome
forms of “measurement” threaten to take
over, it’s hard to stay on balance and, in
the opinion of many, the “joy” of teaching/
learning is diminished.
How do we keep our balance?
How do we manage this type of stress?
Take courage! Don’t panic! The profession
has survived similar movements and has,
in fact, emerged better. I’m confident we
can do it again. If you can recall the late ’60s
and early ’70s, you know of what I speak. If
you’re too young to do that, then look up
the lists of teacher competency expectations
this era produced. The memory brings a
smile—teacher competency jokes abounded:
“Must be able to leap tall buildings in a single
bound,” etc.
Yes, much has always been expected of
teachers, but we’re up to it—even the harsh
criticism. We can keep our balance if we
focus on the people in front of us. If we do
that, the process of proving ourselves will, to
a large extent, become less burdensome. My
opinion about this was reinforced recently
in an article by Patricia Bourne in The Voice,
Washington’s state MEA journal.
“In the classrooms of highly effective
‘student-first’ teachers, a culture is
created that moves learners—and
learning—forward. . . . Every student
in the class knows he is valued and
appreciated. . . . These exemplary
teachers understand it is connections—
one human to another—that stimulate
and open learning possibilities. These is
no denying that the positive relationship
between teacher and students—forged
In This Issue…
The leaves are already falling, and we’re
well on our way into another year. This is
a busy time, as proven in the pages of this
issue.
The task of preparing the GMEA budget
is completed. It is presented in Association
News, as are the minutes of the last GMEA
Board meeting. Also our executive director
has some wise words on membership
responsibility. Catch up on the In-Service
Conference preparation in Division and note
the fine conductors GMEA has tapped for
the Sixth-Grade Statewide Honor Chorus.
We’re proud of our members who will
present at the Chicago-based Midwest
Clinic in December. You will find them
listed in District News. Also, note in Editor’s
Mailbox announcements of the Georgia
students chosen to perform with the NAfME
All-National Honor Ensembles and the
U.S. Army All-American Marching Band.
Congratulations to these students and their
directors. And, don’t miss the Changing
Georgia Scene—also in District News. Make
these new teachers welcome and encourage
them to take advantage of the upcoming 2015
In-Service Conference.
As usual, Focus on Instruction contains
reports and reflections on classroom
activity—always for the purpose of exploring
tools and strategies that musically educate.
We’re grateful to these Georgia authors
for sharing their ideas, concerns and
experiments. I know you will find this section
with trust, consistency, direct and ageappropriate communication—provides
unbridled potential for growth, regardless
of setting. The advances made with the
best academic standards are no match to
the power of a teacher with heart, eyes,
thoughts, and energies focused on the
individuals in his/her classroom.”
informative.
New collegiate faces are presented in
University News, as well as general news on
campus activities and new programs. And
finally, Bill Fry has contributed a new chapter
to our All-State story. Read it in Historical
Profile. You will find his account fascinating
and an interesting thread in the saga of
Georgia All-State groups. Enjoy!
IN MEMORIAM
Dale Samuel Shaffner
1924-2014
Dale Shaffner,
band director at
Rossville High
School for 40
years, until his
retirement in 1984,
died on Sept. 8.
He is survived by
his son, Richard
Shaffner of Ringgold, two grandchildren, two
great grandchildren, and several nieces and
nephews.
As a teenager in Middletown, Pa., Shaffner
was inspired to become a musician while
watching the U.S. military bands perform
3
at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of
Gettysburg. Shortly thereafter, he began
taking private lessons on the clarinet, but
when he expressed interest in joining the
local high school band, the director asked
him to play flute. He agreed and became very
proficient on that instrument.
Shaffner’s musical career was interrupted
by World War II. Called to serve in the
infantry, he managed to secure a position
in the company band. After his company
completed their training, they were shipped
to England for the invasion of France.
However, when Shaffner’s band arrived in
France, the Battle of the Bulge had broken
out, and the musicians were used as guards
instead of as a band.
Upon returning home from the war,
Shaffner married Alma Louise Beard, the
sister of an army buddy. Taking advantage
of the G.I. Bill, he went to the Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music to earn a music
degree and certification. After graduation,
he won a position as flute player in the
Chattanooga Symphony.
Shaffner moved to the Rossville area in
1949. He is the founder of the Rossville Lions
Club and was a member of the Chattanooga
Symphony and Opera Association.
Stephen Andrew Partin
1962-2014
Stephen Andrew
Partin, a native of
Georgia, graduated
from Coffee High
School in Douglas in
1981. He received a
B.M.Ed. degree from
Valdosta State College
in 1985 and served
with the Jeff Davis
County High School Band and the music
education staff in the Jeff Davis County
School System. After earning and M.A. in
music education from the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas in 1995, he served as one
of the directors of bands at Crisp County
Middle School and as assistant director of
bands at Crisp County High School until
his death. An accomplished guitarist, he
performed with many recording artists,
including the Osborn Bowen Family Singers
and with Bob and Diane Turman in “Foxfire.”
Partin is survived by his parents, Homer
and Eddie Sue Turner Partin of Douglas, his
son, Tyler Keith Partin of Cordele, and two
stepsons, Chuck Strickland of Brunswick and
4
Kristen Strickland of Mayport Naval Station
in Florida.
Paul Ramsey
1949-2014
Paul Ramsey
of Bremen was
born in Haleyville,
Ala., the son of the
late Johnnie Basil
Ramsey and the late
Velma Wakefield
Ramsey. Survivors
include his wife,
Cheri Lyn Ramsey
of Bremen; two
daughters and sons-in-law, Mary and Gerard
Mack and Melanie and Ivan Flores all of
Marietta; one step-daughter and son-in-law,
Tracie and Jose Ramirez of Dallas, Georgia;
one stepson and daughter-in-law, Bobby
Carroll and Teresa Smith of Cedartown; and
EDITORS MAILBOX
Dear Editor,
I am writing from the American Composers
Forum, a national nonprofit organization
that supports composers. You may be familiar
with our work commissioning and publishing
new works for middle-level performers:
BandQuest (bandquest.org) and ChoralQuest
(choralquest.org). I’m writing today because we recently
launched a new, national program for teenage
composers and are currently working to get
the word out as far and wide as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to look at these
materials.
American Composers Forum
Launches NextNotesTM High
School Composition Awards
The American Composers Forum (ACF)
announces the launch of a new, national
program designed to nurture the next
generation of creative voices in music
composition. The NextNotesTM High School
Composition Awards will encourage and
recognize the creativity of high school
composers and award outstanding talent
with mentorship, scholarship funds, and a
one brother and sister-in-law, Howell Wayne
and Kumi Ramsey of Dallas, Tex.
Ramsey began his teaching career in
Rome at Model High School in 1971. After
attending graduate school he started the
instrumental music program at Hillside
Academy in West Point, Miss. Later, he
was named as band director at Central
High School in Carrollton. His last teaching
position was Haralson County High School,
where he taught for 22 years until his
retirement in 2011. Ramsey received a B.S.
degree in music education from Jacksonville
State University, and the M.M.Ed. from
Mississippi State University. He was a
member of several civic and professional
organizations, including the NAfME, GMEA,
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Professional
Association of Georgia Educators, and
others. He was honored at his funeral
with music performed by current and past
members of the Haralson County High
School Marching Band.
performance of their work by professional
musicians.
“The NextNotesTM High School
Composition Awards is unlike any music
composition contest that’s ever been
conceived before. With no limits on style
or content, this competition should attract
music creators of all backgrounds and
abilities, and give an opportunity for young
people to engage with making original music
like no other program has done before,” said
Dr. Daniel Ott, composer and music educator
at Fordham University and the Juilliard
School, and NextNotes advisor.
Students in grades 9-12 are invited to
apply with a single composition in any genre
or style by the deadline of January 12, 2015.
Applications are submitted electronically
through an on-line process. Six composers
will be chosen to receive a scholarship along
with travel to Minneapolis-St. Paul for a twoday workshop with professional composer
mentors and professional musicians in June
2015. The workshop will conclude with an
awards ceremony and culminating concert of
the winning works.
Interested high school composers are
encouraged to visit the website www.
NextNotes.org and connect via Twitter
(@NextNotes), Facebook (ACF Ed),
and on Tumblr, Instagram, and Vine (all
acfnextnotes). For more information,
please visit www.NextNotes.org or email
Suzanna Altman, Director of Education
and Community Engagement, at saltman@
composersforum.org.
The American Composers Forum enriches
lives by nurturing the creative spirit of
composers and communities. We provide
new opportunities for composers and their
music to flourish, and engage communities in
the creation, performance and enjoyment of
new music.
ACF’s primary vision is to facilitate an
ecosystem of creativity through music. Our
goal is to make composers, and the music
they create, a vibrant and integral part of
our culture. Programs reflect the diversity
of our world, and we partner with a variety
of ensembles and organizations including
faith communities, rural and urban schools,
healthcare facilities and arts presenters
and performing groups. With its education
programs, ACF strives to be the leading
national resource to mentor and nurture
student learning through the creation of
new music by providing curricular and
professional support for educators and
composers in schools and communities.
Georgia Musicians Perform
in All-National Honor
Ensembles
Eleven Georgia students have been named
to the 2014 NAfME All-National Honor
Ensembles. They will join 670 of the most
musically talented and skilled high school
students in the United States to perform at
the National NAfME In-Service Conference.
The ensembles will appear on the stage of the
Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn.,
on October 29, 2014.
Congratulations to students and directors:
Hye Ri Bae, Concert Band, piano, Lambert
High School, Scott McCloy, director;
Jonathan Craig, Orchestra, trombone,
Lambert High School, Scott McCloy,
director; Chip Frankhauser, Mixed Choir,
tenor 1, Lovett School, Jerry Ulrich, director;
Grant Kendrick, Mixed Choir, bass 2, Lamar
County Comprehensive High School, Natoya
Fletcher, director; Trever Kiefer, Concert
Band, tuba, Lassiter High School, James
Thompson, director; Sean Kwak, Concert
Band, trombone, Blair Callaway, director;
Andrew Lukman, Orchestra, violin 1,
Roswell High School, Sara Payne, director;
Matthew Paynter, Concert Band, trombone,
Heritage High School, Blair Callaway,
director; Caroline Wu, Orchestra, violin 2,
Roswell High School, Sara Payne, director;
David Yun, Concert Band, percussion,
Heritage High School, Blair Callaway,
director; Rachel Zhu, Concert Band, flute
1, Northview High School, Kelly Dickerson,
director.
The NAfME All-National Honors
Ensembles include a concert band,
symphony orchestra, mixed chorus, and jazz
ensemble. The concert band and symphony
orchestra will each have approximately
150 instrumentalists, the jazz ensemble
will have 20 instrumentalists, and the
mixed chorus will have approximately
350 vocalists. Ensemble conductors are
Mark Camphouse, professor of music
and conductor of the Wind Symphony at
George Mason University (Concert Band);
Gerard Schwarz, music director, Eastern
Music Festival Conductor Laureate, Seattle
Symphony (Symphony Orchestra); and
Edith Copley, Regents’ Professor, director of
choral studies, Northern Arizona University
(Mixed Choir).
Grayson Mullis Named to AllAmerican Marching Band
Grayson Mullis, a Winder-Barrow High
School student, has recently been selected to
play bass drum in the 2015 U.S. Army AllAmerican Marching Band. Students named
to membership receive a selection tour stop
at their school during the fall of their senior
year and an all-expenses paid trip to bowl
week in during January of the their senior
year. During bowl week, the band members
receive instruction from top collegiate,
high school, and drum and bugle corps
instructors from across the country as well
as educational sessions with members of the
U.S. Army Band.
The U.S. Army All-American Marching
Band, featuring 125 top marching band
members from across the United States, has
performed at the U.S Army All-American
Bowl since 2008. The 2015 performance will
be televised on NBC from San Antonio, Tex.,
at 1:00 p.m. on January 3. The performances
will also be available for viewing via an online
stream that day.
Collegiate Advocacy Summit
Announced
NAfME invited collegiate members to
take part in the 2015 NAfME Collegiate
Advocacy Summit on June 15, 2015.
Collegians are invited to
• share their passion for music with the
nation’s leaders;
• meet face-to-face with U.S. legislators
and their staffs on Capitol Hill;
• receive special leadership training;
• network with NAfME state and national
leaders;
• enjoy the nation’s capital;
• meet new friends and colleagues;
• come away inspired. Watch the NAfMe Website for more
forthcoming information.
Multiple Ways of Knowing
Music study promotes fluency in knowledge systems beyond
the linguistic and mathematical, enabling a deeper and broader
understanding of our world and of the human experience.
•
A teacher’s thoughts on expanding the mind
Music is expression, emotion, understanding, peace, love, and much more.
Music to me and many others is a way of life. It takes the stress away with an
outlet that is safe and sound. It’s a universal language that brings together so many
from backgrounds of all kinds. It matures young high school kids into mature
adults. It creates a higher level of thinking. But most of all, it allows students to
feel compassion, when otherwise they don’t feel it at all. Where does the next
generation take us? Certainly with music there’s an infinite amount of possibilities.
5
Introducing Kaplan Vivo and Amo, violin strings
designed to combine the richness of gut with the
projection of synthetics. Now, even the most reﬁned
players can discover new dimensions in their sound
while wielding greater control over their musical voice.
This is a new era of classical music. Be a part of it.
With Kaplan, the movement begins now.
6
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS
Frank Folds, GMEA President
Welcome back for another school year. I
trust it is off to a great start. Amid the hustle
of the beginning of the year, I hope you take
time to appreciate what a great profession we
have and the impact we have on the young
lives we touch.
Your state, division, and district officers are
working diligently to make your professional
association what it can be for you. From
working to provide a first rate In-Service
Conference, to striving to standardize
procedures for LGPE across divisions, to
hiring the best clinicians for statewide
honor groups, they are collaborating and
communicating to produce the best possible
experience for you and your students.
If you have the opportunity, please
make plans to attend the NAfME national
conference in Nashville. The conference
runs from October 26-29. There are several
presenters from Georgia as well as students in
the All-National Honors Ensembles.
I also encourage you to join us for the 2015
ISC in Savannah, as we say a fond farewell to
that gracious city. The conference is January
29-31 and will feature many exciting clinics
and performances. We kick it off with a
General Session on Thursday at 10 a.m. with
our awards recipients. Maribeth YoderWhite, Southern Division president, will give
the keynote, and we will be entertained by
Back in Time, a rock and soul group made up
of GMEA retired members headed by Mercer
Crook. You won’t want to miss this!
As we begin a new school year, we also
come to the end of an era. Mary Leglar has
been the editor of the Georgia Music News
for as long as I can remember. She has had a
passion for making it a top flight professional
periodical. It is considered by colleagues in
other states to be among the best. Dr. Leglar
has left an indelible mark on Georgia, both
as editor and professor of music education
at the University of Georgia. This will be her
last issue as editor and we want to wish her
well in her retirement. It has been a personal
and professional pleasure to know you and
work with you, Mary. Thank you for your
service to music education, to Georgia, and
to GMEA.
FROM THE
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Cecil Wilder,
GMEA Executive
Director
Another school year is under way, and we
are all back to our day jobs and whatever that
entails. District meetings have been held,
and event applications are being submitted.
Hopefully the steps which have been taken
to streamline that process are making your
life a little easier. Oh, if only schools and
school systems would follow our lead where
paperwork is concerned!!
A big concern around the state seems to be
the Student Learning Objectives with which
all teachers are being required to contend. I
have been asked on several occasions what
the GMEA position is on these. Of course,
we are in favor of student learning objectives
in principle; however, the way the state of
Georgia has seen fit to define them, not so
much. There is not a lot of help we can offer
you in the design and implementation of
these, since school systems are being allowed
to structure, implement, and assess them on
their own.
A central issue is that learning objectives
in music are skill-based, as well as knowledge
and fact-based. This makes the objectives
more difficult and time-consuming to assess
at the level of the individual student. That
can be a difficult concept to get across
to some administrators and politicians,
especially since, in the words of Upton
Sinclair, “It is difficult to get a man to
understand something when his salary
depends on not understanding it.” If you
are fortunate enough to have a principal
or superintendent who does not fit this
description, I would be happy to talk with
him or her, provided he/she would like to
have the conversation.
Another somewhat related topic is the
fact that this is an election year. I am told
in a typical election about 35% of Georgia
teachers actually vote. If that is so, shame
on the other 65%. I was taught growing up
that if you don’t vote, you have no right to
complain.
I hope you are among those who do vote.
I also hope that, before you vote, you make
every effort to inform yourself about how
each candidate truly stands on educational
issues. In the case of incumbents, don’t be
fooled by election year promises that are not
consistent with past decisions and positions.
In the case of challengers, listen closely to
what they say and make sure their rhetoric
includes what they plan to do and how they
plan to accomplish it, not just what the other
fellow failed to do.
Equally important, I hope you vote with
those educational issues being central to
your voting decisions. Too many politicians
are notorious for using hot button topics
7
as a distraction to keep voters’ minds away
from the things which are really important
to their lives and to the well-being of the
state and nation. Not every issue is a political
issue and not every problem has a political
solution. It is up to you to stay informed
about candidates and their suitability and
commitment to doing the people’s business.
Remember, citizenship is hard work, and
patriotism doesn’t mean always agreeing with
your government.
As always, I wish the best for you and your
students as you go about the very important
business of education. What you are doing is
the key to the future success of your students
and the future of our society. Whenever
you become discouraged or frustrated
by those who, even though they have no
training or qualifications where schools are
concerned, believe they know more about
how education should be delivered than the
trained professionals, hold on to the words
of Garrison Keillor: “Nothing you do for
children is ever wasted.”
CNAfME
Notes from the
Historian
David Gregory, State Advisor
Derick Clackum,
Chair
The 2014-15 academic year is off to a great
start, and CNAfME chapters across the state
are up and running and are deeply involved
in music activities on their respective
campuses. Many events and activities are
scheduled for this year, and already our
college men and women are more involved in
their profession than ever before.
Individual chapters of CNAfME are
planning a wide range of locally designed
projects that will have positive impact on
music education programs at all levels of
public school instruction. Students are
assisting with marching band programs as
adjunct instructors, they are organizing and
assisting with choral and band festivals on
their campuses, sectional rehearsal assistance
is being provided to bands and orchestras,
private instruction clinic and programs are in
place in a number of schools, and in-service
clinics are being planned and presented in
various settings across the state. In short,
CNAfME men and women are heavily
involved in the music education programs of
Georgia, and are very focused on their college
preparation for a career in teaching music.
As we all know, a tremendously important
part of undergraduate music education is
the GMEA In-Service Conference each year.
In fact, the yearly conference is the most
significant professional growth opportunity
for all music educators, both current and
future. Plans are being developed for another
year of truly exceptional clinics at the 2015
conference, and CNAfME men and women
will again be involved in organizing and
assisting with them.
This year’s conference will feature eight
8
CNAfME-track clinic sessions, each of
which will present invaluable ideas and
information for soon-to-be music educators.
These clinics also will be of tremendous
help to experienced teachers in that they
possibly will offer new and different insights
into teaching strategies and methodologies.
I encourage everyone to make plans to be
present for as many of these terrific sessions
as possible.
The clinics scheduled for the CNAfME
track are as follows: “With Every Breath You
Take” (J. D. Burnett, clinician), “Becoming
a Professional” (Martha Shaw and David
Gregory, clinicians), “Finally It’s Here”
(Susana Lalama, clinician), “I Never Learned
That in College” (Charles Laux, clinician),
“Non-Negotiables of Superior Rehearsals”
(Alfred Watkins, clinician), “Little Things,
Big Differences, All Levels” (David Gregory,
clinician), “A Beginning Teacher’s Survival
Guide” (John Wayman, clinician), and “New
National Standards” (Martin Norgaard,
clinician). Additionally, the CNAfME general
membership meeting will be held Friday
afternoon at 4:45. With a schedule of clinic
offerings such as the one presented above,
it is a certainty that attendees will have
tremendous opportunities for professional
and personal growth.
I look forward to seeing everyone in
Savannah in January, our final visit to that
wonderful convention city. Be sure to
check your conference schedule and make
arrangements to attend as many of the terrific
CNAfME clinics as possible. Have a great fall,
and let’s meet this January in Savannah for
one more time.
Most members are probably not aware that
GMEA has an archive of the organization’s
history, located in the library at Georgia
College and State University in Milledgeville.
I wasn’t aware of it until this year. I am also
sure that I didn’t know what the GMEA
historian’s office entailed.
When President Frank Folds approached
me with the idea of becoming the GMEA
historian, I was interested, if a little unsure
of what was involved. But Frank’s offer was
well presented, sort of like the perfect lure on
the end of a fisherman’s line. Frank said that
one of the historian’s jobs was to take pictures
of events and awards at the annual GMEA
In-Service, which I normally attend anyway,
so I felt I could assist him with that. It turned
out to be a pleasant task, as almost everybody
wants to have his or her picture taken. Still, I
had an idea that this historian thing might be
a little more than just taking pictures.
After the In-Service, Executive Director
Cecil Wilder asked if I would undertake
the task of updating the “Short History
of GMEA” that appears at the end of the
Constitution and By-Laws on our OPUS site.
Again, that seemed like an innocent enough
project. When I inquired where I would
find the information to update the history,
that’s when Cecil told me about the GMEA
archives.
It seems that at some point, the filing
cabinets in the GMEA office were groaning
under the weight of documents and
recordings that had accumulated over
several decades. Georgia College and State
University Library was approached about
housing our archives because they already
had a large collection of GMEA files. These
files were from the 1940s and 1950s, and
were donated by Max Noah, the first GMEA
executive secretary, and Maggie Jenkins,
the first secretary/treasurer. Both Max and
Maggie were on the faculty of what was then
the Georgia State College for Women (now
Georgia College and State University). They
also were the hosts to the GMEA State Music
Festivals, held in Milledgeville from the late
’40s to the early ’50s.
So, as soon as I could break away from my
busy retirement schedule (pause for laughs),
I ventured forth to Milledgeville and began
to get acquainted with what was stored in
the archives. I was very impressed with the
personnel and archive facilities at GCSU.
Needless to say, there is a great amount of
material there, most from the 1940s through
the 1980s, but not so much from the ’90s to
the present.
My first challenge became apparent
immediately. The files were stored as
they were received, but not necessarily in
chronological order, so I could see they
needed to be reorganized.
In addition, I noted that when GMEA
began storing files on computers in the
1990s, we stopped keeping all our records on
paper. I realized immediately why there was a
lot of missing material from 1990 to present.
The files were neither transferred from
digital to paper files nor stored in digital form
in the archives.
The third challenge I saw was that
although we have thousands of All-State and
In-Service recordings in the archives, they
have not been digitalized so they can be
made available online to the membership.
Suddenly the enormity of the task became
clearer. We are talking a long-term project
that will require a lot of work, since the
recordings are in many formats, from reel-toreel and cassette to LP, CD, and VHS.
The archive situation is at a critical
juncture. Record files and recordings are
important, not only so that the present
membership can have access, but also for
future generations to have our history
available for research and exploration. The
archives tell the story of how Georgia has
gone from a state that was struggling to start
music programs, to one that is now a leader
in the nation.
I would like to see the entire collection
digitized and made available online, so that
GMEA members can access everything
in the collection. This could take several
years of effort and will need our financial
support, but it is a task worth doing. With
the assistance of GMEA members and staff,
and the GCSU Library, I am ready to give it
my best effort.
Retired Members
Fritz Siler, Chair
Last of days . . . Don’t miss them!
This year will mark the end of many
journeys over the years to Savannah for the
GMEA convention. There have been other
sites that were hosts of the convention, but
Savannah has been the longest running.
There are many memories of great times,
incredible musical and personal experiences,
and of course the lengthy ride over and back
again if you live anywhere but the Savannah
area.
We all have our places of habit and habitat
when we arrive in Savannah: favorite places
to stay and eat, and a few watering holes
to visit. There are sessions outside of the
GMEA convention to attend, like the jam
session at Huey’s. After this year’s sojourn
we will embark on learning new routines
and concert venues at the Classic Center in
Athens.
Those who attended school or frequent
the UGA campus will know their way
around, and welcome the change of venue.
There will be discoveries of new places to
eat, as well as enjoy the social amenities
of Athens. Parking will be an adjustment,
but there is plentiful parking available. The
restaurants are plentiful and offer a wide
variety of foods. There are several with a
brewery on site. There will a place for jam
sessions on Thursday night, with the students
from the All-State Jazz Ensemble invited to
sit in with the pros. There will be places for
the various organizations to meet and greet
one another after hours of clinics and classes.
The convention will be whatever we make
it to be, no matter where it is held. The move
in 2016, for some, will be a break in tradition.
However, it is the people and the music
that makes our special gathering what it is.
Continue to be a part of the social benefits of
being retired, of visiting with old friends and
colleagues this year in Savannah. Make plans
for the next chapter while you are there with
all your friends who attend.
One episode ends this year, leading us
into the next chapter in Athens. Let’s take
advantage of both opportunities. Register!
I hope to see you there in Savannah again
this year, and then in Athens, for the 2016
gathering.
Classic Center, Athens
9
Producing
creators,
thinkers,
achievers.
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
2015 Scholarship/Service Award and Music
Major Audition Dates:
Instrumental: February 7, 21,
March 7,
April 18
Voice: February 7, 21
March 7,
April 18
Piano: February 7,
March 7
Marching Band: April 25
(Drum Line, Color Guard & Majorette)
Register Now For Your Audition at:
GeorgiaSouthern.edu/music-apply
department of music
www.georgiasouthern.edu/music
10
MINUTES
GMEA Board of
Directors
Marriott Courtyard Hotel Stockbridge
May 17, 2014
I. The meeting was called to order at 10:10
by President Frank Folds.
The following members were present:
Carl Rieke, vice president for performance
evaluations; Kerry Bryant, vice president
for All-State events; Mary Land,
immediate past president; Bernadette
Scruggs, Past Presidents’ Council
representative; Cecil Wilder, executive
director; Robin Christian, Band Division;
Jeff Funderburk, Choral Division; Carol
Benton, College Division; Karen Leamon,
Elementary Division; Nicole Thompson,
Orchestra Division; Donna Dasher, Piano
Division; Eric Turner (proxy for Kenya
Murray), District One; Andy Bell, District
Two; Jason Thorne, District Three;
Quentin Goins, District Four; Garnetta
Penn, District Five; Richard Prouty,
District Six; Bob Steelnack, District Seven;
Michael Thomas, District Eight; Pat
Gallagher, District Nine; Gene Hundley,
District Ten; Lloyd McDonald, District
Eleven; Paula Krupiczewicz, District
Twelve; Chad Deal, District Thirteen;
Sue McDonald, member-at-large; Albert
Bussey, MultiCultural Awareness chair;
Julia Bernath, Georgia School Board
Association representative; Dr. Rob
Johnson, Georgia School Superintendents’
Association representative; Harry
Bergwall, Georgia Association of School
Music Dealers representative. This
constitutes a quorum.
The voting procedure was reviewed and
the minutes of the board meeting held on
May 18, 2013 were approved.
II.The following action items were presented
and voted on:
A. A proposal was brought from the
Orchestra Division that the Statewide
Honor Orchestra event be moved
to the same weekend and location
as Instrumental All-State. The AllState Orchestras would continue to
be organized in the same manner,
with 9-10 and 11-12 as full orchestras
and Middle School remaining a
string orchestra, while the Statewide
Orchestras would continue as string
orchestras. The All-State audition
results would also be used to pick
the Statewide Honor Orchestras, and
those students selected would be the
students who did not qualify for one
of the All-State Orchestras (in rank
order based on the audition scores)
until the instrumentation is full. The
acceptance fee would also be the same
as for the All-State Orchestras. It
was further proposed that the names
of the Statewide Honor Orchestras
be changed. These names would be
Eleventh and Twelfth Grade String
Orchestra, Ninth and Tenth Grade
String Orchestra; both middle school
orchestras would be identified by the
name of the conductor, as is the custom
in the Band Division. It was pointed
out that, due to the added concert
presentations, Saturday’s concerts will
need to start earlier in the day. The proposal was adopted by a
margin of 23-1 with one abstaining, to
begin with the 2014-2015 school year.
B. A proposal was brought from the
Executive Committee to change the
online student event application,
registration, and acceptance processes
as follows:
Currently all GMEA student event
applications require the signature of
both the member and the school’s
principal. The proposal is to eliminate
those requirements and replace them
with a box on the online application
form that must be checked by the
member agreeing to the conditions
of the application. The member will
not be allowed to proceed with the
application until he or she has checked
the box. The conditions will read as
follows:
“By checking this box I am certifying
that my school’s head administrator
is aware that I am registering these
students or student groups for this
event and that he/she is aware that
attendance at the event may require
the students to be absent from school.
I further agree to abide by the rules
and policies governing this event and
to fulfill any responsibilities attached
to the event including, but not limited
to, being on site during the event (or
having a designated adult on site,
such as a parent or assistant director),
assisting with the running of the event
and, in the case of all state events, being
available to judge or serve in another
capacity at the auditions, both district
and final, and the actual All-State event
[Choral Division only]. I acknowledge
that, if I fail to fulfill any of these
professional responsibilities, my school
administration will be notified of that
failure.”
If this change is adopted it will
eliminate the need for members to
send in any paper to the office in
conjunction with the application,
provided payment is made via credit
card or electronic funds transfer from a
bank. A member choosing to pay with
a paper check will be supplied with
an invoice for the amount owed, to be
submitted to the booster club treasurer
or school bookkeeper, that he/she will
mail to the GMEA office along with the
check. All late and reprocessing fees
will apply as in the past.
In the case of All-State acceptance
forms, we now require a waiver
concerning the video recording of the
students involved that must be signed
by the student and the parent. We
propose to eliminate this requirement
and replace it with a disclaimer to be
checked by the member that will read
as follows:
“By checking this box I am certifying
that I have made the parents or
guardians of every student on my
acceptance list aware that the All-State
performance in which their child will
be participating will be video recorded
for resale to directors, students, and
parents and that they should not allow
their children to participate if they
are unwilling for this to de done. I
further certify that I have made these
parents aware that they can read this
information along with the dress,
behavior, and attendance policies
attached to this event at the GMEA
website and have provided them with
the link to that web page.”
The member will not be allowed to
proceed with the acceptance process
until he or she has checked the
disclaimer box. If this change is made,
it will become unnecessary for the
member to mail any paper to the office
as long as payment is made via credit
card or electronic funds transfer. If the
member chooses to pay with a paper
check, OPUS will print an invoice that
the member can give to his/her booster
club treasurer or school bookkeeper for
payment. The member will then mail
the invoice to the office in the same
envelope as the check.
The proposal was adopted
11
unanimously.
C. A proposal was brought from the
Executive Committee to discontinue
the All-College Band and All-College
Orchestra events beginning with the
2014-2015 school year due to declining
enrollment and increasing financial
deficits. After lengthy discussion it
was decided to discontinue the AllCollege Orchestra permanently and
to suspend the All-College Band until
a committee can be appointed by
President Frank Folds to restructure
the event in a way that will encourage
greater participation, establish a
more workable audition procedure,
and return it to financial viability. No
prospective date for the completion
of this work was set. The All-College
Chorus will continue as is for the 20142015 school year.
The proposal, as amended, was
passed by a vote of 25-0. President
Frank Folds appointed Neil Ruby, Kerry
Bryant, Beth Taylor, and one more
person to be named later to serve on
this committee.
D. A proposal was brought from the
Executive Committee to have the Band,
Choral and Orchestra Division chairs
create a statement of expectations
to be given to all LGPE adjudicators
prior to each event for which they are
hired. T statement is to be ready for
the Board of Directors by the May 2015
board meeting. The proposal passed
unanimously with the understanding
that, because we are a unified
association, the document must be
the same for all divisions. The three
division chairs were asked to have
the document ready in time for the
respective division councils to discuss
at their meetings during the 2015
All-State events so that the board can
decide on it next May.
E. A proposal was brought from the
Elementary and Choral Divisions that
the maximum number of students
who can be registered for Statewide
Sixth Grade and Elementary Honor
Choruses by any one school be
changed from six with no alternates to
five with no alternates. The Choral and
Elementary Division chairs were asked
consult their respective councils about
combining the two events during the
month of February, beginning in 20152016, possibly using the Classic Center
in Athens as a permanent home for the
event. They will then need to bring that
12
request to the Executive Committee as
early as possible so that facilities and
hotel rooms can be secured.
The proposal was passed unanimously.
F. A proposal was brought from the
Executive Committee to have the
state Band, Choral, and Orchestra
Division chairs devise a formal process
for dealing with complaints from
members concerning the quality and
professionalism (or lack thereof )
exhibited by LGPE adjudicators. The
plan is to be ready for the Board of
Directors to approve in May 2015. The
proposal passed by a margin of 24-1.
G. A proposal was brought from the
Executive Committee for the Board to
address inconsistencies across the state
with regard to availability of All-State
student lists to students prior to the
time when they are released through
the Opus system. Frank Folds moved
that the proposal be taken off the table
and that this problem be addressed by
the Executive Committee and Board as
part of the larger issue of professional
standards and ethics in general. The
motion passed unanimously.
H. A proposal was brought from the
Band Division to make available to
teachers the scores and rankings for
all their students who take the final all
state band audition. After a lengthy
discussion concerning the nature of the
all state audition process and the fact
that it is not possible to give accurate
data to all students concerning their
true position relative to other students,
the motion was defeated by a vote of
5-16, with 4 abstentions.
III.The following informational items were
presented.
A. The 2014–2015 statewide calendar
was approved as sent out prior to the
meeting and posted on the GMEA web
site with the following change. The
calendar window for LGPE events, all
divisions, was increased to include the
last two weeks in February. This will be
a permanent change starting in 20142015.
B. An interim budget report was
presented by Cecil Wilder.
C. An update on advocacy initiatives was
presented, including our relationship
with the “Vision for Public Education
in Georgia” and our promotional DVD
project. The DVDs have been delivered
and are ready to be submitted to all
members of the Georgia legislature, the
governor, all members of the Georgia
Board of Education, and the Georgia
superintendent of education. A link
to the vimeo file housing the DVD
content will be available to anyone
wishing to access it, especially local
school system officials. The package
to be mailed to state leaders will also
include a brochure on the value of
music in the lives and education of
children and a brochure explaining the
contributions made by GMEA towards
music education in the state. This
information will be sent this fall prior
to the 2015 legislative session.
IV.Reports, both written and spoken, were
submitted by all members wishing to
do so. An mp3 audio copy of the entire
meeting is on file in the GMEA office.
The meeting was adjourned shortly
after 2:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cecil Wilder, Executive Director
savannah
2015
Date:
January
29-31, 2015
FINAL TOTAL INCOME AND EXPENSE FY 2014 AND PROPOSED BUDGET FY 2015
INCOME 2014 EXPENSE 2014 SURPLUS/DEFICIT
INCOME 2015
EXPENSE 2015
SURPLUS/DEFICIT
Membership Dues
$ 55,176.53
$
109.00
$ 55,067.53
$ 55,000.00
$
–
$ 55,000.00
Medals and Plaques 96,446.81
55,126.45 41,320.36 96,000.00 55,680.00 40,320.00
Georgia Music News
3,520.00
26,687.28 (23,167.28) 10,000.00 23,000.00 (13,000.00)
Non-GMEA Festival Fees
7,134.90
– 7,134.90
5,000.00
– 5,000.00
In Service Conference 305,052.78 268,571.43 36,481.35 309,500.00 253,625.00 55,875.00
Performance Evaluations 456,192.00 291,794.88 164,397.12 455,650.00 310,000.00145,650.00
All State Events 485,535.21 331,741.38 153,793.83 470,080.00 334,475.00135,605.00
Royalties
1,939.28
– 1,939.28
2,000.00
– 2,000.00
Interest Income
4,016.10
– 4,016.10
4,000.00
– 4,000.00
Other Income
711.25
–
711.25
–
–
–
Scholarships
–
4,000.00 (4,000.00)
– 4,000.00 (4,000.00)
Board Expense
– 4,383.68 (4,383.68)
– 5,000.00 (5,000.00)
Executive Committee Expense
– 10,612.62 (10,612.62)
– 10,000.00 (10,000.00)
Council Expense
– 4,403.50 (4,403.50)
– 5,000.00 (5,000.00)
CNAfME
– – –
–
–
–
OfficeExpense
– 145,458.41(145,458.41)
– 144,350.00(144,350.00)
Employee Expense
– 219,659.84(219,659.84)
– 224,252.76(224,252.76)
Online Application Project
– 10,522.52 (10,522.52)
– 25,000.00 (25,000.00)
Handbok Expense
– – – –
–
–
Archives
– 620.65
(620.65)
– 2,000.00 (2,000.00)
ASO/GMEA project
– 5,821.20 (5,821.20)
–
–
–
Awards
– 203.25
(203.25)
–
500.00 (500.00)
TOTALS
$1,415,724.86
$1,379,716.09
$ 36,008.77
$1,407,230.00
$1,396,882.76
$10,347.24
GMEA CASH POSITION AS OF
JUNE 30,2014
June 30, 2013 June 30, 2014
Checking Account Balance
$ 13,859.00 $ 2,782.15
Scholarship Money Market Account 3,132.58 2,859.25
Operating Reserve Savings 282,249.86 282,249.86
TOTAL ASSETS
$299,908.06 $287,891.26
EMPLOYEE EXPENSE AND NON-PROGRAM INCOME
AND EXPENSE FY 2014 AND PROPOSED FY 2015
ACTUAL
PROPOSED
ACTUAL
BUDGETED
2012
2013
2014
2015
Executive Director
$ 59,000.04
$ 59,000.04
$ 61,001.07
$ 61,000.00
Office Manager 45,539.92 46,529.36 49,000.00 50,470.00
Ass’t to the Executve Director 37,839.74 39,408.08 41,999.93 43,259.93
Clerical
–
– 19,738.55
–
Publications Director 32,907.50 34,270.40 37,000.00 38,110.00
Total Salaries 175,287.20 179,207.88 208,739.55 192,839.93
Benefits, Insurance and retirement 12,013.20 11,706.26 15,330.22 16,660.57
FICA, Medicare, and Unemployment Tax 12,736.67 13,089.68 15,328.62 14,752.25
Total Employee expense 200,037.07 204,003.82 239,398.39 224,252.76
Taxes and Licenses
127.54
165.20
213.48
150.00
Accounting and Legal Fees 13,200.00 13,763.61 14,563.90 15,000.00
Bank Charges 16,331.21 18,829.91 19,878.42 20,000.00
Computer and Technology
8,530.00
5,444.28
5,585.31
6,000.00
Donations and contributions
100.00
100.00
200.00
200.00
Dues and Subscriptions
667.00
558.00
515.00
500.00
Executive Travel and Development
–
1,695.99
1,086.67
1,500.00
Insurance General
4,590.00
3,525.00
4,872.00
3,500.00
Insurance Workmens’ Comp
774.00
187.25
663.00
600.00
Internet Services 11,672.13 12,103.07 18,268.26 18,000.00
Miscellaneous Expense
511.05
198.98
39.00
100.00
Office Machine Leases
7,819.97
8,257.46
9,274.37
9,200.00
Operating Expense
8,035.11
9,334.58
9,390.54
8,500.00
Outside Services
3,255.00
3,706.50
4,293.95
3,750.00
Printing Expense
–
1,042.80
–
–
Postage
7,078.12
5,627.20
7,807.45
7,800.00
Property Taxes
–
–
–
–
Rent 38,400.00 35,200.00 41,600.00 41,600.00
Staff Development
–
450.10
250.00
250.00
Telephone
5,217.15
6,878.56
2,893.96
3,500.00
Travel
116.76
141.22
138.11
200.00
Repairs and Maintenance
–
303.03
–
–
Leadership Training
–
–
–
–
Utilities
3,645.84
3,672.45
3,924.99
4,000.00
Total Administrative Expense
$130,070.88
$131,185.19
$145,458.41
$144,350.00
Total Employee and Administrative Exp.
$330,107.95
$335,189.01
$384,856.80
$368,602.76
13
CHOIRS
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Dr. Kevin Hibbard, Director of Choirs
Dr. Dawn Neely, Director of Opera Workshop
CONCERT CHOIR
CHAMBER SINGERS
OPERA WORKSHOP
AUDITIONS ···············································
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
- Wadsworth Scholarship candidates only
Monday, February 16, 2015
- Destination: Music
Saturday, March 28, 2015
- Last day for non-major ensemble award consideration
Sunday, April 19, 2015
PREVIEW DAYS ·········································
Saturday, September 27 – Arts & Humanities
students
Sunday, November 2 – All students
Thursday, February 26 – Arts & Humanities
students
Sunday, April 12 – All students
UWG Department of Music
(678) 839-6516 • [email protected] • www.westga.edu/music
An Accredited Institutional Member of the National Association of Schools of Music
14
ORCHESTRA
Nicole Thompson, Chair
I am honored to serve my second year
as the Orchestra Division chair. The
collaboration and teamwork among Georgia
orchestra teachers is fantastic. I am constantly
reminded of the kindness and generosity of
the string teachers when so many step up and
volunteer to help and host events to make
our division better and enhance education for
our students. We are now serving more string
students than ever before. It is wonderful
to see so many talented students and
teachers involved in GMEA programs and
performances.
This year, the Statewide Honor Orchestra
event will be replaced in favor of an expanded
number of orchestras at All-State in Athens.
After years of growth and the existence of so
many high-quality programs across Georgia—
and the extra rehearsal space afforded by the
move to Athens—we now have the level of
talent and the room to allow more student
participation. This is an exciting opportunity
for our state’s string students, as they now
have double the opportunity to make it into
an All-State Orchestra. We will have two
equally divided high-quality middle school
orchestras, one 9/10 full orchestra, one 9/10
string orchestra, one 11/12 full orchestra,
and one 11/12 string orchestra. Additionally
we, as teachers, have the opportunity to
learn more effective rehearsal techniques by
observing six top-level conductors working
with our students. I love to see teachers take
advantage of this great learning opportunity
and carry new ideas and techniques back to
the students in their own classrooms. I also
enjoy seeing the All-State students share their
experiences and leadership with their peers in
their orchestras at home.
The In-Service Conference this year
promises to be an exciting event, as this is
our last year in Savannah before moving
to Athens. We had so many applications
for presenters, and the performing group
applications were quite numerous and
competitive. Make plans now to attend and
take advantage of the In-Service Conference
professional development opportunity and
submit the form to your principal as soon as
possible. Athens will be a fantastic venue in
2016, as the facilities are so much better and
more centrally located.
Dan Rather from CBS News once said,
“Music is exciting. It is thrilling to be sitting
in a group of musicians playing (more or
less) the same piece of music. You are part
of a great, powerful, vibrant entity. And
nothing beats the feeling you get when you’ve
practiced a difficult section over and over
and finally get it right (yes, even on the wood
block.) Music is important. It says things
your heart can’t say any other way, and in
a language everyone speaks. Music crosses
borders, turns smiles into frowns, and vice
versa. These observations are shared with a
hope: that, when schools cut back on music
classes, they really think about what they’re
doing—and don’t take music for granted.”
What is it about music that most excites you?
How will you share your excitement with
your students this school year? How will you
inspire them to find their passion in music?
How will you share your passion for music
with the teachers in your building? Your
community?
I wish you all the best of success in the
coming year and hope you are able to
encourage and inspire your students to
achieve their highest level of musicianship
and collaboration.
Band
Neil Ruby, Chair
I hope everyone had a restful summer and
is ready for a great school year! I am honored
to be given the opportunity to serve as your
state band chair for the next three years. I
would like to thank Robin Christian for his
friendship, guidance, and training during this
transition and for the countless number of
hours he has invested in me over the past few
months, answering questions and offering
advice. GMEA is very fortunate to have
Robin as a member. Under his leadership
the Band Division is strong and thriving. I
would also like to thank each of the division
committees for working extremely hard this
summer to ensure that upcoming events are
a success for our students and that our jobs
as directors are easier.
I hope everyone is making plans to attend
the last In-Service Conference in Savannah.
We will all miss visiting there each January,
15
but I am very excited about the clinics and
performing ensembles that have been chosen
to present. More information about the band
clinics and performances will come in the
next publication. Registration for ISC and
LGPE is currently open in OPUS. Please be
sure to register by the registration deadlines.
As we enter a new school year, I would
like to encourage all of us to take a moment
and think about the incredible challenges
and opportunities we have been given to
help mold and shape the futures of our
students. With diminishing budgets, furlough
days, and increased testing demands, our
jobs as educators are as tough as ever,
but our responsibility remains to provide
our students with the training and tools
necessary to be successful in our programs
and in life. Band directors have the unique
opportunity to enhance the world’s future.
A price tag or standardized test cannot be
placed on that. Most of us probably have
that one special teacher from our childhood
who made a difference in our lives and was
our reason for getting into the profession.
We have and will continue to have that same
effect on our students, no matter what field
of study or work they ultimately choose.
The positive impact that student
participation in band has on standardized
test scores is no secret. Participation in
band yields students who exceed in reading
and mathematics, show improvement in
behavior and attendance, and receive higher
admittance rates into college. Students in
your band classes are learning self-discipline,
dedication, commitment, motivation,
time management, and pride in their
community and school. We are blessed to
teach the brightest students in our schools!
Communities across the United States are
using the fine arts to shape their physical,
social, and economic character. Participation
in your band classes is increasing student
success, bringing schoolwide benefits for
teachers and administration, and building
a stronger community. It’s up to us to
make sure this message is communicated
to parents, administrators, community,
and politicians. We have to fight the good
fight to make sure the fine arts remain an
integral and supported part of our schools.
There is no easy fix to the problems facing
education today, but if we put our best efforts
forward for the common goal of providing
our students with the best music education
possible, anything can be achieved.
By combining passionate teaching and
utilizing the help of other educators, parents,
and the community, we can reach this
ultimate goal.
16
To our veteran teachers, I encourage
you to reach out to younger directors and
offer your wisdom and assistance in their
development as music educators. Being a
mentor to a new or young teacher can help
pave the way for a positive and successful
future. It was Theodore Roosevelt who said,
“No one cares how much you know until
they know how much you care.” I hope we
will all strive to help each other. To our new
teachers, I encourage you to reach out to
experienced and successful teachers and ask
questions. You are not alone in this, and we
all need to depend on each other to do what’s
best for all our students. Finally, I challenge
all of us to become more involved in GMEA.
Become involved by being available to judge
auditions, hosting events, attending meetings
and conferences, and simply lending a hand
when the need arises. The GMEA office
exists to serve our members. In return,
we can assist in the process by having our
registrations submitted correctly and on
time.
I believe that if better is possible, then
good is never enough. My sincere hope and
goal is to continue the great success of the
Band Division and, with the combined help
of us all, strive to make it the best and most
educationally rewarding experience for our
students and directors. I wish each of you
the best in all your endeavors, and if I can
ever be of assistance to you or your program,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
GUITAR
Luther Enloe, Chair
The guitar is alive and thriving in Georgia
school systems, and if you teach guitar in
Georgia, I hope that you will attend the
2015 GMEA In-Service Conference. This
will be the last conference held in Savannah,
so please partake in the history, delectable
food, collegiality, and exceptional guitar
session offerings that Savannah and the
GMEA ISC offer! Of special note will be
four sessions presented by guest clinician
Glen McCarthy. McCarthy served 30 years
as the director of the guitar program at
Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Va.
Under his direction, the Robinson Guitar
Ensemble consistently earned superior ratings
at adjudicated festivals. In 2013 he was a
finalist for the Recording Academy and the
Grammy Foundation’s Music Educator Award.
The award recognizes educators who have
made a significant and lasting contribution
to the field of music education and who
demonstrate a commitment to maintaining
music education in the schools. Additionally,
McCarthy has served as chair of the NAfME
Council for Guitar Education and chair of
the ASTA Guitar-in-the-Schools Task Force.
He is also a member of the NAfME Guitar
Education Team, the driving force behind the
popular Teaching Guitar Workshops, and an
adjunct professor of guitar at George Mason
University School of Music. McCarthy will
present sessions entitled, “Teach Guitar!
Everything You Need to Know but Were
Afraid to Ask,” “Find Your Inner Rock Star,”
“Guitar Ensembles,” and “What Do You Do
with the Guitar Player in Your Jazz Band?”
Other sessions, presented by Erik Herndon,
Michael McCallie, Rob Pethel, and Trey
Wright, will discuss teaching contemporary
music, warm up exercises for guitar class,
Suzuki guitar in the classroom, guitar
education research, and jazz improvisation.
Luther Enloe will teach a multilevel guitar
master class. ISC 2015 will also feature
performances by the North Gwinnett Middle
School Eighth Grade Guitar Ensemble, under
the direction of Caryn Volk; the St. Pius
X Catholic High School Advanced Guitar
Ensemble, directed by Brion Kennedy; and
the Knepp & Miller Duo, a guitar and clarinet
duo from Young Harris College.
I hope you agree that there will be an
impressive array of informative sessions
and vibrant performances. Whether you
have never before attended an In-Service
Conference, are a regular attendee, or have
not been for a while, the 2015 In-Service
Conference is not to be missed!
Choral
Jeff Funderburk, Chair
Has a year really gone by? It seems like
yesterday I was writing my first article for the
Georgia Music News.
We have several exciting things in store
for us this year. The date of the first All State
Chorus audition is later—Saturday, November
15—with a more standardized audition.
Students will not have to take any materials
with them to the audition, so there will be no
more lost CDs or CDs that are not compatible
with the CD player that the judge is using.
Also, the judges will have the correct key for
each voice part, and there will be no longer
any question about which solo is acceptable
for each grade level. Be sure to check out the
GMEA website and refer back to emails that I
have sent with instructions for the audition.
All-State Chorus will be held once again
at the Classic Center in Athens. We had a
wonderful first experience there last year. The
facilities, staff, and conductors were superior!
Our conductors for All-State Chorus this year
are Middle Treble, Robyn Lana; Middle Mixed,
Rollo Dilworth; Intermediate 9th/10th Grade
Mixed, Timothy Sharp; Senior Women, Lori
Hetzel; Senior Men, Ethan Sperry; and Senior
11th/12th Grade Mixed, Timothy Seelig.
We are expecting another great All-State
Reading Chorus event this year, with Dr.
Stanley Roberts from Mercer University
conducting the sessions and choir event. I
hope you have registered your students for
this rewarding experience, which will be held
in Savannah during the annual In-Service
Conference.
Plans are underway for an outstanding
Statewide Sixth Grade Honor Choir.
Dawn-Marie Schafer has been hard at work
organizing this event, which will take place
once again at the UGA Tifton Conference
Center. Conductors this year will be Caroline
Crocker and Sally K. Albrecht.
Let me encourage you to read all emails
that I send. They have information that will
answer most of your questions about the
events. The GMEA website and OPUS also
contain vital information for you to have a
successful GMEA experience. Your handbook
is located in OPUS. Get to know it!
Your standing committees and district
choral chairs have been diligent representing
you this year. They have given great advice
and support, and without them it would have
made difficult decision making more difficult!
Thank you for your support during this
first year of my term. It has been great getting
to know many new people and put faces
to the names that I have seen for years. I’m
looking forward to working with you again
this year.
17
this year’s Statewide Elementary Honor
Chorus! There are two important changes
for this year’s event. First, we are trying
out a new location for the event. Statewide
Elementary Honor Chorus will be held in
Tifton, at the UGA Conference Center, on
November 14-15. The conference center in
Tifton has housed the Sixth Grade Honor
Chorus for the past several years, and has
provided excellent facilities. Although this
location is much farther south than we are
used to, I’m hoping we can all make the
adjustment to try it out. For our schools up
north, the drive will definitely be farther, so
as you are choosing your students, please
make sure your parents understand where
the event will be held. There are plenty of
good accommodations to choose from in
Tifton.
The second major change is that Statewide
Elementary Honor Chorus will be held the
second weekend of November, November
14-15, to avoid conflicting with the National
Orff-Schulwerk Conference in Nashville,
Tenn., the first weekend of November. Please
check the GMEA website for information
on hotels, clinician bios, schedules, etc. All
the information has been posted there. This
year’s clinicians are Dr. Maribeth YoderWhite from Appalachian State University
and Joshua Pedde, assistant director of the
Indianapolis Children’s Choir.
As you make your plans for the 20142015 school year, please also make sure you
have the GMEA In-Service Conference in
Savannah, January 29-31, in your schedule.
This is our last year in Savannah, so you
will not want to miss it! Our headliners are
Artie Almeda and Chris Judah-Lauder, along
with other sessions by Graham Hepburn
(Quaver), the Gallinas, Dave Holland, Andy
Beck, Myra Wheat and company, Maribeth
Yoder-White, Mindy Krejci, Bradley Bonner,
Debbie O-Shea, Chelsea Cook, and Laura
Stambaugh. We also have two excellent
children’s choirs performing for us! Now is
the time to request staff development days
to attend the conference. Your principal may
even be able to cover some of your expenses
with the school’s staff development monies.
If you volunteer to be a host or presider, you
have another reason why you need to attend
this conference.
Best wishes for a successful new school
year in music making!
advice and guidance during my first year. I
will continue to rely on their knowledge and
expertise during this next year.
Members of the council are the past chair,
chair-elect, and concerto chair, as well as
each district chair. Several districts still need
representation: Districts 1, 3, 9, 13, and the
new District 14. We do have active members
in those districts, so if you would like to serve
as a representative, please contact me.
Piano All-State Auditions
Our first event of the fall is the Piano AllState Auditions, held at Mercer University,
Macon, in December. I want to make sure
you are aware of some very important changes. Please note the following and refer to the
GMEA Handbook for more clarification.
1)To distinguish between the auditions
and evaluations events, the auditions
in December will be called the GMEA
Piano Solo or Four/Six Hands All-State
Auditions. The spring evaluations will
still be referred to as the GMEA Spring
Solo or Ensemble Evaluations.
2)The deadline for postmarked entries for
auditions is October 7, 2014.
3)The fall auditions will be held at Mercer
University in Macon on Saturday,
December 6, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
4)Teachers, you must plan to work the
event or secure a GMEA replacement,
no exceptions. If you do not show up
to work the event, you will receive a
Elementary
Karen Leamon, Chair
Another summer has flown by and I, like
my colleagues, am preparing for a new school
year. I hope the summer gave each of you
time to rest, relax, recreate, and recharge! My
“battery” is fully charged and ready to go. As
you begin this new school year, I encourage
you to keep plenty of margins in your life to
recharge on a regular basis. We all know that
“all work and no play” is a recipe for disaster
in your personal and professional life. My
goal is to exercise more, read more, get plenty
of rest, have time to play, and “not sweat
the small stuff,” so that I am at my best to
teach effectively—no, I mean to teach in an
“exemplary” manner. As musicians and music
teachers, we all have the tendency to spend
way too many hours on our job and not pay
enough attention to our own health and
wellbeing. Consider this your charge!
As I begin my second year in office, I’m
excited to share with you all the details about
PIANO
Donna Dasher, Chair
Welcome back, GMEA members! I trust
you are rested and ready to get back to
teaching. I am honored to serve as GMEA
Piano Division chair for another year and
have been working this summer to ensure
our last year in Savannah is the most exciting
and memorable yet!
Piano Council
I want to thank the Piano Council for their
18
letter of reprimand. Three letters within
a five-year period may result in your
not being able to enter students in any
GMEA event for a period of one year.
5)If your student is chosen to perform in
a conference recital in January, note that
there is a new procedure for acceptance.
You will have to accept in OPUS, as
do all the other divisions for All-State.
If you do not accept by the deadline,
another student will be immediately
called to replace your student.
6)Also, if you accept for your student
to perform in the January In-Service
Conference, and your student does not
show, with the exception of death or
illness, your student will not be allowed
to enter any GMEA event for a period
of one year. Please note these important
changes.
GMEA is one of the most respected and
revered music organizations in the state.
The purpose is to the serve music teachers,
in our case, piano teachers. If you know of
schools that offer class piano, group piano,
or piano of any type, please contact them to
considering joining and participating in the
GMEA piano events. We can add more events
to accommodate more teachers and schools
as needed.
will again be in charge of this event.
Piano Adjudicator List
We added six new adjudicators to the list
this past year. I encourage districts to enroll
students in evaluations so that these fine
adjudicators’ knowledge and expertise can
be utilized to help your students become
better musicians. With enough participation,
we could hold regional evaluations in the
fall, as well! If you would like to serve as a
piano adjudicator,and are not currently on
the adjudicator list, please complete the
adjudicator application found in OPUS and
submit that to the GMEA office.
Composition Contest
The composition contest last year was a
great success. Several of the piano teachers
had winners to perform. It was awesome!
The GRU Department of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of
In-Service Conference
I’ll save the complete news for the
November newsletter, but once you hear the
details, you will definitely want to attend this
year’s In-Service Conference. I will give you a
“sneak peak” so you can begin to make plans.
Our headliner is Dr. Gail Berenson. She
will present pedagogy sessions—so many
to choose from! Also, Dr. Geoff Haydon
will present a jazz concert on Thursday
night. Remember that the conference begins
on Thursday morning with the General
Session, so plan to be there. It’s not like in
the past, when you only arrived Thursday
evening. You will want to be present for
the entire conference. So, make your plans
and reservations early to arrive Wednesday
evening.
Piano Concerto Competition
The Piano Concerto Competition
will be held January 17, 2015, at Georgia
State University. The concerto will be the
Rachmaninoff Concerto in C Minor, No. 2,
which is posted on the GMEA website, at the
Piano Division link. The winner will perform
with the All-State Orchestra in March. Order
your music and mark your calendars if you
plan to participate. Some students have
already been preparing, and we’re looking for
great participation in 2015. Geoff Haydon
gru.edu/colleges/pamplin/music
19
Be sure to look into it if you also teach
composition, and don’t miss the entry
deadline of October 1. Please refer to OPUS
for more information.
MUSIC EDUCATION
COLLEGE
Carol Benton, Chair
The zombies are coming! The sky is falling!
Oh . . . no . . . wait . . . it’s edTPA!
Music teacher educators in Georgia are
deeply involved with the transition into
pre-service music teachers’ assessment via
edTPA. With the interests of our candidates
in mind, we proactively strive to understand
edTPA and to provide guidance that will
ensure successful outcomes for music teacher
candidates. As one colleague put it, “we are all
up to our necks” in edTPA.
EdTPA was a topic of interest among
Piano Solo and Ensemble (4/6 Hands)
Performance Evaluations
This event is offered in the spring. The
goal this year is to have an event offered in
each district where students apply. Teachers
and educators know the importance of
annual evaluations, so plan to enroll your
students in the event.
members in the College Division sessions
at GMEA In-Service Conference 2014. It
emerges as a topic of even greater concern for
our upcoming conference in January 2015.
Three sessions will be devoted to the topic of
edTPA. John Wayman will present a session
entitled “EdTPA—Making Sense of the
Growing Beast,” and Laura Stambaugh will
present “How to Lead the Way for EdTPA.”
Finally, we are delighted to announce
that Susan Wharton Conkling (Boston
University), current president of the Society
for Music Teacher Education (SMTE), will
travel to Savannah to present two sessions,
including one on edTPA. Dr. Conkling’s
session is entitled “The Promises and Perils
of Evaluation: How Are We Preparing PreService Music Teachers?” Conkling describes
her session in this way: “Value-added
measures have been incorporated not only
into school district teacher evaluations, but
also into pre-service teacher education in
the form of the edTPA. How valid are such
measures? Do they prepare novice teachers
for the profession?”
Read the next issue of Georgia Music News
for more details about the Music Education
College Division sessions scheduled for
GMEA In-Service Conference 2015. Until
then, watch out for those zombies!
work “The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies” by Irish
composer Mary McAuliffe at the National
Concert Hall in Dublin. He also recently
conducted at the Kennedy Center, the Wang
Theater, and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts in the United
States. Pedde, a former elementary music
specialist, is a Level 3 certified Orff Instructor.
He received a Bachelor of Music degree in
vocal music education and a master’s degree
in choral conducting from Butler University,
where he was recognized for his outstanding
work in elementary music.
Maribeth Gail
Yoder-White is a
freelance educational
consultant, clinician, and
conductor. A choral and
general music education
specialist, Yoder-White
also serves as adjunct
associate professor in
the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian
State University, and is a frequent consultant,
and adjudicator for choral workshops and
festivals throughout the country, YoderWhite is editor of the Hinshaw Music
choral series “Accent on Young Voices,” and
serves as clinician and author for Silver
Burdett Making Music and Silver Burdett
Interactive Music. She is a certified OrffSchulwerk specialist and frequently presents
workshops featuring her compositions and
arrangements. Additionally, Yoder-White
maintains active participation in music
education research and has presented papers
and authored articles in international,
national, regional, and state arenas. She
was a presenter at the Spokane (2010)
and Pittsburgh (2011) National American
Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA)
Conferences and has presented workshops
to AOSA chapters in Washington, Virginia,
Ohio, North Carolina, and Hawaii. She
served as keynote presenter at the 2003 and
2005 Hawaii Music Educators Association
Conferences in Honolulu and traveled to
Thailand and Hong Kong in 2004 to present
at the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas
Schools Conference. Yoder-White holds
a doctorate in music education from the
University of North Carolina in Greensburo
and is currently president-elect of the
Southern Division of NAfME.
Pedde and Yoder-White to Conduct
Elementary Honor Chorus
The 2014 GMEA Elementary Honor
Chorus will meet for an outstanding choral
experience on November 14-15 under the
direction of Joshua Pedde and Maribeth
Yoder-White. The event will be held at the
UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.
Joshua N. Pedde
is assistant artistic
director for the
Indianapolis Children’s
Choir. An active
elementary clinician,
he provides music
education workshops
to public and private
20
schools throughout central Indiana as part
of Innovations, an outreach program he
developed at the ICC. Pedde has conducted
on numerous stages both nationally and
internationally, including the premier of
the children’s opera, The Trio of Minuet,
under the direction of ICC founder Henry
Leck. Internationally he has conducted at
Canterbury and Westminster Cathedrals
in England; the Vatican, San Marco, and
the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Italy;
San Francisco el Grande Basilica, Madrid,
La Segura Familia, Inglesia Nuestra Senora
de Los Angeles, and Santa Maria Del Pi,
Barcelona, Spain. In 2003 he premiered the
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21
WHY WON’T BOYS SING?
Attributional Beliefs and Choir Enrollment of
Preadolescent Boys
Melanie H. Hinton
Statement of the Problem
Introduction
The declining number of boys in choral
programs has been an issue discussed by
music educators for nearly a century (Koza,
1993) and is still a popular topic of research
and discussion for music educators (Lucas,
2011; Sweet, 2010; Warnock, 2009). In
attempts to solve this unequal representation
of gender in choral music, it is important for
educators to know about past efforts and
which of these efforts has been effective.
Some researchers look to external remedies,
while others explore the internal differences
of student motivation. These varying
discussions, while informative, may lead to
confusion when implementing solutions.
“At least part of the difficulty lies in the
very nature of the conversations we have
about this problem. We have conversations
about various issues we suppose to be the
causes. These include boys who don’t like to
sing, competition with the allure of sports
programs, block scheduling, the scheduling
of after-school rehearsals, budget cuts, the
influence of popular culture, and so forth.
We rarely, if ever, consider the possibility
that changes need to take place within our
classrooms, within our instruction, and
within choral repertoire itself. Something is
wrong” (Freer, 2007).
Problem Statement
To encourage more male participation
in choir, many authors suggest external
changes: “familiar recommendations and
remedies such as having separate choirs
for boys and girls, encouraging more males
to become music teachers, enlisting the
support of adult males in the community,
and providing teachers with information
22
about the changing adolescent voice. Similar
recommendations in our professional
journals have addressed choral music’s
‘missing males’ problem for at least eighty
years without much success” (Freer, 2007).
Other research focuses on intrinsic factors
such as gender acceptability, attitudes,
ability, self-concept, and attributional
beliefs. Of these factors, teachers have the
most promising amount of influence over
students’ attributional beliefs, the causes to
which one attributes his success or failure.
Little to no research has been done in
comparing students’ attributional beliefs
and their enrollment in choir. If a significant
correlation exists, teachers may finally have
something to focus on that can begin to close
the gap between boys and girls enrolling in
middle school choir.
Purpose Statement
This project was a first step toward
understanding the expected importance of
attributional beliefs in music participation
and will hopefully lead toward teachers
being able use the information to solve the
problem of a low number of male choir
participants. The purpose of this study was
to explore the gender relationships between
the attributional beliefs of fifth grade
students and their enrollment into middle
school choir. Specifically, the project sought
to answer the following questions:
1. Are there significant gender
differences with any general
attributional beliefs?
2. Are there significant correlations
between attributional beliefs and selfconcepts?
3. Do these significant correlations
change when gender is isolated?
4. Are any attributional beliefs significant
to predicting enrollment in middle
school choir?
5. Of gender, self-concept, and
attributional beliefs, what are the best
predictors for a student enrolling in
choir?
Review of Literature
Introduction
This review of literature seeks to point
out patterns and connections between the
conducted research and written articles
concerning male participation in music,
especially choir. Though the review is not
as extensive as it could be, considering the
amount of literature available, this summary
of information should allow music educators
to easily review the trends. Then they may
apply those practices which have proved
successful and discontinue time-wasting
practices which have made no improvement
on the situation. This will also give
researchers a better starting point to conduct
further investigations on the subject.
Four main trends were found in the
review of literature: attraction, attitudes,
ability, and attributional beliefs. Many
authors deal with the idea of attraction
when considering whether males have
general preferences toward certain musical
or non-musical activities compared to
females. Musical attitudes of children were
evaluated by investigating negative and
positive preferences to specific musical
activities. Ability was referenced in three
ways: difficulties surrounding the voice
change, aptitude (perceived potential ability
determined by others), and self-concept/
self-esteem (perceived ability determined by
one’s self ). Attributional beliefs, which deal
GEORGIA MUSIC NEWS, VOL. 74, NUMBER 3, SPRING/SUMMER 2014
with one’s perception of what causes success
and failure, were least referenced by music
educators. Since attributions have been
shown to largely influence and be influenced
by one’s self-concept as well as motivate one’s
future decisions, they warrant our attention.
In attempts to solve this unequal
representation of gender in choral music, it is
important for educators to know about past
efforts and which of these efforts has been
effective. A review of literature has shown
that through the years, the approach to this
problem has differed from author to author.
These varying discussions, while informative,
may lead to confusion when implementing
solutions.
Attraction
To attract more boys to join choirs, many
authors present or cite quick-fix solutions
through the use of “acceptable” male
practices. These ideas suggest that teachers
compare training the voice to training for
sports (Phillips, 1994, 1995), get popular
kids to join (Lucas, 2011), choose songs with
masculine lyrics (Demorest, 2000), remind
boys that most rock stars and pop stars
are men (Phillips, 1994), and have a high
school male choir perform for younger boys
(Phillips, 1995). Many of these ideas have
shown to be unimportant or too simple to
solve this larger problem.
Numerous studies have shown that
while boys enjoy the company of friends in
choir (Kennedy, 2002; Sweet, 2010), their
enrollment decisions are not dependent on
these friends, or even their family (Lucas,
2011; Mizener, 1993). While repertoire was
shown to be important to boys, the style
was dependent on the individual, not on
the gender (Kennedy, 2002). Exposing boys
to examples of male singing does seem to
be important (Demorest, 2000; Freer, 2007;
Simpkins, Vest, Dawes, & Neuman, 2010;
Svengalis, 1978). It would be misdirected
however, to hope that seeing the high school
male choir perform will persuade boys to
stay involved in choir, so they might join that
ensemble in the future. Elementary students
do not think ahead with that type of ambition
(Warnock, 2009).
When it comes to socially acceptable male
practices within music, there seems to be
very little that an upper elementary school
teacher can do to influence these ideas, let
alone a secondary music teacher. The idea
of acceptable male practices within music
does not significantly change after third
grade, maybe even earlier (Svengalis, 1978).
This may be due to the fact that, as early as
first grade, parents are more likely to play
sports with their sons while engaging in
more music activities with their daughters
(Simpkins et al., 2010). While it is true that
girls show a stronger attraction to choir than
boys, girls also show a stronger attraction
to participation in music overall (Warnock,
2009). This finding points to a deeper
issue than teachers’ recruitment choices.
Since trying to “man-up” one’s school choir
program does not seem to be beneficial,
perhaps looking to the male attitude will
provide some insights.
Attitude
Most authors agree that male attitudes are
more negative toward music (Dibben, 2002;
Lucas, 2011; Pogonowski, 1985; Svengalis,
1978; Vander Ark, Nolin, & Newman, 1980)
and that the attitudes of both males and
females decline with age (Mizener, 1993;
Svengalis, 1978; Vander Ark et al., 1980).
Another interesting finding is that students
of middle social-economic status (SES) have
more positive attitudes toward music than
students of high or low SES (Pogonowski,
1985; Vander Ark et al., 1980). Also, attitudes
toward music reading activities are lowest
across grade level, gender, and SES (Vander
Ark et al., 1980).
Studies that focused on predicting these
attitudes uncovered some important data.
Firstly, aptitude does not predict attitude
(Pogonowski, 1985); just because a student
has the skills to be successful at music does
not make it more likely that he will enjoy
music class. Also, family involvement in
music is related to more positive attitudes
toward music (Simpkins et al., 2010;
Svengalis, 1978). The best predictors,
though, are found when combining gender
or gender beliefs with one’s self-concept
of music (Svengalis, 1978; Vander Ark et
al., 1980). This means that boys with low
self-concepts and a narrow acceptability of
male music practices are very likely to have
negative attitudes toward music. Ability and
perceptions of ability, then, warrant closer
examination.
Ability
Ability is referenced directly and indirectly
in most articles that deal with male
participation in singing. The struggle to
sing during the voice change is the most
common problem discussed, with many
articles dedicated to methods of dealing with
this issue. Also discussed is the influence
of perceived abilities such as aptitude and
self-concept. Aptitude is others’ (usually
a teacher’s) perception of a students’
potential to succeed in music. Self-concept
is mentioned by many authors; though they
may refer to it as self-esteem or confidence,
all of these terms are used to describe the
perception of one’s own musical ability.
Voice Change
When it comes to an adolescent male’s
changing voice, educating the student
and the teacher about its development is
considered an important step in the process
(Adler, 1999; Demorest, 2000; Freer, 2007).
Aside from that, the theories on how to deal
with the problem differ from one educator
to the next. While some believe that rangeappropriate literature is crucial for boys’
success (Adler, 1999), case studies of positive
adolescent male singers have revealed that
this complication was not actually a concern
for them (Kennedy, 2002; Sweet, 2010). It
seems that if the boys are in a supportive
environment, they will not consider the voice
change as an obstacle. Rather, they see it as an
annoyance that they can deflect by dropping
to a different part, changing the octave, or
letting other boys cover the difficult notes.
Educators should learn from this easy-going
approach by not falsely labeling parts for
boys as bass to “make them feel good”; this
practice unintentionally teaches boys that
something is wrong with the actual range of
their voices. Instead teachers should attempt
to separate gender from voice types at this
age (Adler, 1999).
Another common solution to the
problems surrounding a changing voice is
to separate the boys from the girls when
rehearsing (Demorest, 2000; Phillips, 1995)
to circumvent embarrassment and peerpressure. In a case study that interviewed
boys who belonged to both a mixed choral
class and an afterschool all-male choral group,
however, it was surprisingly revealed that
most of the teasing came from the boys in
their mixed choir class. Girls, on the other
hand, were always mentioned as building up
the boys’ confidences and complimenting
them. One aspect they enjoyed about the
all-male choral group was that each member
was dedicated to the ensemble sound its best
(Sweet, 2010). Boys’ choirs can be an effective
tool for dealing with the voice change if
individual assistance is the primary means of
correction rather than group interventions
(Sweet, 2010). This discovery implies that a
teacher’s time may be better spent finding
dedicated members for their programs than
creating separate ensembles for boys and girls.
23
Aptitude
Aptitude was mentioned earlier as not being
significant when predicting one’s attitude
toward music (Pogonowski, 1985). It has
also been found that singing ability is not
related to one’s desire to join choir (Mizener,
1993). An interesting study, though, found
that this relationship changes if the students
and parents are informed of the methods
of testing along with the level of aptitude,
describing it as the student’s likelihood
of success. In this study, 60% of students
rated superior enrolled in an instrumental
music program, along with 54% of excellent
students, 30% of good students, and 18% of
fair students; no students with a rating of
poor enrolled. This method needs further
investigation, but has promising results for
the usefulness of aptitude testing.
Self-Concept
Whether it is referred to as confidence,
self-esteem, or self-concept, the way a
student perceives his musical ability is very
influential to many aspects of his choices.
Studies are showing that teachers find girls
more successful at singing, possibly due to
their higher level of confidence (Dibben,
2002). Teachers who praised a boys’ choral
workshop for building confidence, further
commented that this confidence deepens
the boys’ commitment to their school choir
where they then take on more responsibility
(Demorest, 2000).
Many studies have shown that self-concept
in music declines as students get older
(Lucas, 2011; Simpkins et al., 2010; Svengalis,
1978), but that family music background
may help slow this decline in confidence
(Simpkins et al., 2010; Svengalis, 1978). In a
study predicting participation, self-concept
was the only significant factor able to predict
one’s enrollment in music (J. R. Austin,
1990). Because of this relationship and its
relationship to attitude, the study of how selfconcept in music evolves in students deserves
much attention from music educators.
Attributional Beliefs
The causes to which one attributes his
success or failure will determine beliefs
about his self-concept and influence his
decisions for future tasks (Legette, 2003).
Common attributes are labeled as either
internal (ability and effort) or external (task
difficulty and luck), and as either stable
(ability and task difficulty) or unstable (effort
and luck) (Asmus, 1986; J. Austin et al.,
2006; Chandler, Chiarella, & Auria, 1987;
24
Legette, 2003). Attributional beliefs influence
one’s expectation of success, and in return,
expectations of success will then influence
one’s attributional beliefs (Asmus, 1986). If
a boy has repeated difficulty with singing,
he will likely have a low self-concept in that
area (Svengalis, 1978). If after putting forth
effort the boy still experiences failure, he may
conclude that singing ability is innate and
therefore, not worth applying future effort.
“According to attribution theory (Weiner,
1979, 1985), the factors to which individuals
attribute their successes and failures affect
future self-perceptions, achievement
behaviors, academic performance, and
affective responses” (J. Austin, Renwick, &
McPherson, 2006).
When children are younger, they are more
likely to attribute success and failure to effort,
but around sixth and seventh grade this belief
changes and ability is considered a more
likely cause. These results were very different
from school to school, however, suggesting
that the teacher has much influence on
attributional beliefs (Asmus, 1986). While
it is obviously important, then, for music
teachers to emphasize importance of effort,
they should make sure to explain why some
efforts may fail (such as poor practice habits),
so that students feel control over the process
(Legette, 2003). This may explain why rating
and reporting a student’s chance of success
in an instrumental program delivers strong
enrollment rates (Klinedinst, 1988). The
student is able to see his current ability as
well as the amount of effort required for
success, giving the student an honest view
of what to expect. This aligns with the
implication that music teachers should find
at-risk students, help them set realistic goals,
and provide opportunities for them to meet
these goals (Chandler et al., 1987).
While all studies found that internal
attributional beliefs were more prevalent
than external attributional beliefs (Asmus,
1986; Chandler et al., 1987; Legette, 2003),
there were some significant findings related
to external attributes. Low self-concepts
are tied to external attributional beliefs; for
example, students who attributed success in
band to having help from their director also
expected to fail at their instrument in the
future (Chandler et al., 1987). Also, low SES
students were more likely to attribute success
to one’s family background (Legette, 2003).
Support from others, while not generally
listed as an attribute, can be considered
external and stable. A student’s home life,
while not consistently listed as influential,
has been able to predict participation
(Warnock, 2009), attitude (Svengalis, 1978),
and self-concept (Simpkins et al., 2010;
Svengalis, 1978). It was also found that
choral students have less parental support
than band students (Warnock, 2009).
Teachers and administrators were found to
be more supportive than coaches for musical
endeavors (Lucas, 2011). As for peer support,
females were more supportive than males to
their friends (Lucas, 2011; Sweet, 2010), and
peers involved in music were supportive while
others were discouraging (Warnock, 2009).
Conclusions
Keeping boys involved in choral programs
is of great interest to many music teachers
and has been for decades. From the surplus
of research, many factors have proved
influential to this goal. Some advice pointed
toward external changes, “such as having
separate choirs for boys and girls, . . .
enlisting the support of adult males in the
community, and providing teachers with
information about the changing adolescent
voice” (Freer, 2007). It seems that the reason
for successful all-boys choirs, however, is not
that they are separate from girls, but because
they often receive more individual attention
about their voice type. Also, while male
singers may be helpful role models for boys,
this encounter is not likely to change a boy’s
view of acceptable gender practices. Finally,
instead of wasting time trying to attract
“popular kids,” teachers should find students
dedicated to similar musical goals.
Other research focuses on intrinsic factors
such as gender acceptability, attitudes,
ability, self-concept, and attributional
beliefs. Gender acceptability seems to be
relatively stable at a young age, and will
not likely be influenced once they reach
third grade. Ability is not significant
in predicting participation, but can be
influential if aptitude is communicated in
an honest and realistic manner. Attitudes
can be influenced by one’s self-concept, and
self-concept is influenced by attributional
beliefs. Of these factors, teachers have the
most promising amount of influence over
students’ attributional beliefs. Teachers can
unknowingly influence negative attributional
beliefs in music when emphasizing talent
and skill, but can positively influence them
by stressing that the right type of effort can
increase ability and therefore success.
More research is needed in this area to
understand how to apply the attribution
theory in a way to increase male participation
in choir. First, the relationship between
attributional beliefs and male participation
in choir should be explored. Then it is
important to understand the extent to which
teachers can influence the attributional
beliefs of students. It would also be important
to study the fluidity of attributional beliefs
over time through a longitudinal study. The
findings of this type of research could be very
important in answering the question, “Why
won’t boys sing?”
Methodology
Definition of Terms
up for the class as enrolling in choir when
answering the research questions.
Procedure
Two surveys were administered to the
students by the researcher (the students’
music teacher) in April during their weekly
music class. Students who were absent took
the surveys in May, also administered by the
researcher. The students put an identification
code on their paper instead of their name
to ensure anonymity while the researcher
scored the surveys. This method allowed the
researcher to go back to the data and record
which student survey data was from students
who enrolled in choir. The researcher took
special care not to make mental notes of
students’ identification numbers to allow
the survey results to stay anonymous.
The researcher then took the data to the
University of Georgia Statistical Counseling
Center for help with data analysis.
all and valued at 0 points. Each category
therefore had a highest value of 28 and a
lowest value of zero. Each student survey
was scored so that each attributional
category had a ratio value (ex. If a student
scored background items at a total value
of 16, then a score of 16/28 or 0.571 was
recorded as his value of background).
The Svengalis (1978) Self-Concept
in Music (SCIM) survey was chosen to
determine the students’ beliefs toward their
own ability. This survey consisted of 36 yes/
no items, of which 18 dealt with singing.
The items assessed one’s reaction to musical
comments and one’s estimate of success in
hypothetical musical situations. Surveys
were scored by ratio of positive responses
(example: If a student had 20 positive
responses, then a score of 20/36 or 0.556
was recorded as his self-concept in
music).
Attributional beliefs are the causes to
which one attributes his success or failure.
Common attributes are labeled as internal
or external, and as either stable or unstable.
Internal attributes are contributions toward
a task from one’s self such as ability and
effort. External attributes are contributions
toward a task from outside of one’s self such
as task difficulty and luck. Stable attributes
Delimitations
are aspects of a task or one’s self that are
seemingly unchangeable
such
as
ability
This study was limited due to the small
Measures
and task difficulty. Unstable attributes are
number
Attributional
beliefs
and
Choir
Enrollment
of
Preadolescent
Boys of participants, who are from
aspects of a task or one’s self that can either
The
Asmus
(1986)
Music
Attribution
the
same school with the same teacher
be controlled or do not stay consistent such
Orientation Scale (MAOS) was chosen
in Georgia. The research will need to be
as effort and luck (Asmus, 1986; J. Austin et
to determine the students’ attributional
replicated in other regions and at a larger
al., 2006; Chandler, Chiarella, & Auria, 1987;
beliefs
toward
musical
tasks.
The
MAOS
scale to confirm findings. The surveys used
Legette, 2003).
has
35
items
separated
into
five
different
were about 30 years old, which may have
Ability then is an internal, stable attribute,
categories: effort, background, classroom
caused a generational gap in understanding
since many view ability as unchangeable.
environment,
musical
ability,
and
affect
some survey items, though students were
Effort on the other hand is an internal,
for
music.
The
researcher
viewed
these
encouraged to ask questions if they did not
unstable attribute since the amount of
attributes
in
the
following
categories:
effort
is
understand an item.
effort one puts forth can change from task
internal-unstable; background and classroom
to task. Task difficulty is an external, stable
environment are external-stable; musical
Results
attribute since the task will not get any easier
ability andthat
affect for
internalFigure
1
shows
ofmusic
theare196
students at the school, 54% of girls enr
or harder. And luck is an external, unstable
stable.
Choir Enrollment
attribute since it cannot be predicted. There
There were seven questions for each of
can be other attributes not listed here, but
the five attribution
The students
the genderdifference
of the 196
while
only 11%
of boyscategories.
enrolled
in choir. Figure
This1 shows
dramatic
exem
they will classify as choir,
either internal
or external
indicated
how
important
each
item
was
students
at
the
school,
with
54%
of girls
and stable or unstable.
for success in music by circling A through
enrolled in choir, while only 11% of boys
Self-concept is defined as one’s beliefs
E. Itemsenrollment
marked ‘A’ were viewed
extremely
enrolled in face.
choir. This dramatic difference
veryasproblem
that
many
schools
about one’s self, especially
it concerns to of male
important
and
valued
at
4
point,
while
items
exemplifies
the very problem of male
one’s ability. In this study focus is placed on
marked
‘E’
were
viewed
not
important
at
enrollment
that
many schools face.
self-concept in music, one’s beliefs about
one’s musical ability.
Results
Choir Enrollment
Subjects
Figure 1
The subjects were 196 fifth grade
students enrolled in general music at a rural
public elementary school in Georgia. The
sample consisted of 94 girls and 102 boys.
All students had the option of joining the
middle school choir in sixth grade. Sixty-two
students signed up for choir on April 30,
2014 (11 boys and 51 girls). Because of class
size limits, not all students will be enrolled
in the class, but this study viewed signing25
Figure 1
Attributional beliefs andAttributional
Choir Enrollment
Preadolescent
Boys of Preadolescent Boys
beliefs of
and
Choir Enrollment
Self-Concept in Music
The averages shown in Figure 2
demonstrate how boys’ self-concepts are
tied to their enrollment in choir. When
comparing the SCIM averages of boys and
girls, there was an unsurprising significance
(p < .0001) between the girls’ higher average
of 0.675 and the boys’ average of 0.540. Table
1 shows results from a correlation matrix
and highlights the attributional beliefs with
significant relationships to SCIM.
As seen in Figure 3, effort and musical
ability were considered the most
to
important causes of success and Correlation
failure
SCIM
in music by both boys and girls. T-tests
Boys
performed on this data, as shown in Table
2, found that effort, affect for music, and
classroom environment showed significant
Girls
differences when comparing genders.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation
to
Effort
SCIM
Boys
0.39778
Effort
Musical
Ability
0.39778
0.39000
Musical
Affect for
Classroom
Affect
for
Classroom
Background
Ability
Music
Environment
Music
Environment
0.39000
0.40039
0.21102
0.40039
0.21102
0.38561
Background
0.38561
<.0001*
<.0001*
<.0001*
<.0001*
<.0001*
0.0333*
0.0333*
<.0001*
<.0001*
0.22156
0.01708
0.01708
0.09752
0.09752
0.05790
0.05790
0.10627
0.10627
0.0319*
0.0319*
0.8702
All students
0.37719
0.37719
0.28148
Why
Won’t Boys Sing?
0.8702
0.3498
0.3498
0.5793
0.5793
0.3080
0.3080
0.28148
0.32916
0.32916
0.12634
0.12634
0.24959
0.24959
Attributional
beliefs
and Choir
Enrollment of Preadolescent
Boys <.0001*
<.0001*
<.0001*
Why
Won’t Boys
Sing?
<.0001*
<.0001*
<.0001*
0.0777
Attributional
beliefs
and
Choir
Enrollment
of
Preadolescent
Boys
*significant difference*significant
was found difference
(p<.05) was found (p<.05)
0.0777
0.0004*
0.0004*
All students
Averages Compared by
Enrollment
Figure 2
<.0001*
Girls
0.22156
Averages Compared by Gender
Table 1Averages Compared by Gender
While Figure 4 shows a consistency
Table 1
Table 1
for students enrolled in choir to score all
attributes higher than the mean,Attributional
a logistical
Beliefs
regression found that effort and musical
ability were the only significant predictors
seen in
Figure
3, effort
musical
ability were
considered the most
As seen in Figure As
3, effort
and
musical
abilityand
were
considered
the most
for enrollment in choir other than gender
important
of success
and
in music
both
boys and girls. T-tests
and SCIM. The chi square resultsimportant
are listedcauses of
successcauses
and failure
in music
byfailure
both boys
andby
girls.
T-tests
in Table 3.
on this
data as2 shown
in Table
found for
thatmusic,
effort, and
affect for music, and
Figures 5 through 9 look at each
performed on this performed
data as shown
in Table
found that
effort,2 affect
attribute separately, comparing averages of
classroom environment had significant differences when comparing genders.
classroom environment had significant differences when comparing genders.
boys enrolled in choir, boys not enrolled
in choir, all boys, girls enrolled in choir,
girls not enrolled in choir, and all girls.
With each attribute it is evident that boys
who enrolled in choir consistently scored
attributes higher than all other subgroups.
Though the significance of these
17
17
differences was not calculated, the value of
each attribute differed more between boys
Figure 3
who enrolled and did not enroll in choir
Figure 3
than between girls who enrolled and did
not enroll in choir. Girls’ belief in musical
T-TEST
Musical Figure 3
Classroom
ability was the only attribute rated higher
results
Effort
Ability
Affect
Environment Background
T-TEST
Musical
by the group not enrolled in choir (Figure
0.7735
0.7134
0.6036 Classroom
0.6143
0.4016
Boys’ Mean
results
Effort
Ability
Affect
Environment Background
6).
Girls’Mean
Mean
Boys’
0.8467
0.7735
0.7644
0.7134
0.6985
0.6036
0.6720
0.6143
0.4175
0.4016
Difference
Girls’
Mean
-0.0732
0.8467
-0.0509
0.7644
-0.0949
0.6985
-0.0578
0.6720
-0.0159
0.4175
p value
Difference
0.0051*
-0.0732
0.0800
-0.0509
0.0034*
-0.0949
0.0468*
-0.0578
0.6556
-0.0159
0.0800
0.0034*
0.0468*
0.6556
*significant
found (p<.05)
p value difference was0.0051*
Table 2
*significant difference was found (p<.05)
26
Averages Compared by Enrollment
Table 2
Table 2
Discussion
Purpose and Procedure
The purpose of this study was to explore
the gender relationships between the
attributional beliefs of fifth grade students
and their enrollment into middle school
choir. The subjects were 94 girls and 102
boys in the fifth grade enrolled in general
music at a rural public elementary school in
Georgia. Two surveys were administered to
the students by the researcher (the students’
music teacher) in April during their weekly
music class: the Asmus (1986) Music
Attribution Orientation Scale (MAOS) to
determine the students’ attributional beliefs
toward musical tasks and the Svengalis
(1978) Self-Concept in Music (SCIM) survey
to determine the students’ beliefs toward
their own ability. The researcher took the
data along with enrollment results to the
University of Georgia Statistical Counseling
Center for help with data analysis.
The project sought to answer the following
questions:
1. Are there significant gender
differences with any general
attributional beliefs?
2. Are there significant correlations
between attributional beliefs and selfconcepts?
3. Do these significant correlations
change when gender is isolated?
4. Are any attributional beliefs
significant to predicting enrollment in
middle school choir?
5. Of gender, self-concept, and
attributional beliefs, what are the best
predictors for a student enrolling in
choir?
Gender and Attributional Beliefs
(Question 1)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Parameter
Estimate
Wald Chi-Square
Why
Won’t Boys Sing?
Attributional beliefs and Choir Enrollment of Preadolescent
FigureBoys
4
Pr>ChiSq
-2.0598
25.1458
<.0001*
Gender (Boy)
not enroll
in
choir
than
between
girls
who
enrolled
and
did
not
enroll
in
choir.
Girls’
belief in
6.3868
10.6828
0.0011*
Effort
-2.7843 rated higher by the
4.1738
0.0411*
Musical
Abilitywas the only attribute
musical ability
group not enrolled in choir
(Figure 6).
Parameter
SCIM
Estimate
2.2908
Wald 4.2192
Chi-Square
Pr>ChiSq
0.0400*
25.1458
<.0001*
10.6828
0.0011*
4.1738
0.0411*
4.2192
0.0400*
-2.0598
Genderdifference
(Boy) was found (p<.05)
*significant
Effort
Table 3 Effort
6.3868
Musical Ability
-2.7843
SCIM
2.2908
Table 3
Figures 5 through 9 look at each attribute separately, comparing averages of boys
enrolled in choir, boys not enrolled in choir, all boys, girls enrolled in choir, girls not enrolled in
*significant difference was found (p<.05)
choir, and all girls. With each attribute it is evident that boys who enrolled in choir consistently
Table 3
scored attributes higher than all other subgroups. Though the significance of these differences
Figures 5 through 9 look at each attribute separately, comparing averages of boys
was not calculated, the value of each attribute differed more between boys who enrolled and did
enrolled in choir, boys not enrolled in choir, all boys, girls enrolled in choir, girls not enrolled in
choir, and all girls. With each attribute it is evident that boys who enrolled in choir consistently
19
scored
attributes higher than all other subgroups. Though the significance of these differences
was
not calculated,
value of each attribute differed more between boys who enrolled and did
Figures
5 MusicaltheAbility
Significant differences were found
between boys’ and girls’ beliefs in effort,
affect for music, and background (Table
2). Affect for music showed the greatest
difference between genders; this lower value
is likely explained by boys’ more negative
attitudes toward music (Dibben, 2002; Lucas,
2011; Pogonowski, 1985; Svengalis, 1978;
Vander Ark, Nolin, & Newman, 1980). It
seems reasonable to assume that if boys do
not enjoy music as much as girls, they will
view this enjoyment as less important to
success. An explanation might also lie in
male and female tendencies toward values of
emotion.
Figure 5
19
Figures 6
27
Figure 6
Affect for music
Attributional Beliefs and SelfConcept in Music (Questions 2
and 3)
All attributes showed significant
correlations to self-concept in music except
for classroom environment (Table 1). Of
these, effort and affect for music (both
internal) had moderate positive correlations
while musical ability and background had
weaker positive correlations. This ranking
shows that the internal unstable attribute of
effort is tied more to self-concept than the
others. Also, the internal stable attributes
of affect for music and musical ability are
shown to be tied more to self-concept than
the external stable attribute of background.
When gender was isolated, the significant
attributes changed greatly (Table 1). The
only significant attribute of girls was effort,
and it only had a weak positive correlation to
SCIM. This data shows that while girls tend
to have higher SCIM, this has no bearing
on their beliefs of success. Boys’ attributes
on the other hand are definitely tied to their
SCIM. All attributes were significantly tied to
SCIM at a moderately positive level (except
for classroom environment which was weakly
positive).
Figures 7
Classroom Environment
Figure 7
Predictors of Enrollment in Middle
School Choir (Questions 4 and 5)
Figures 8
Background
Figure 8
22
Figures 9
28
Figure 9
Of the five attributes studied in
this project, effort and musical ability
significantly predicted enrollment into
middle school choir. Table 3 shows that
effort was the best attributional predictor of
choir enrollment; high belief values of effort
meant that a student was more likely to join
choir. Boys’ lower value of effort then is a
great explanation of the low choir enrollment
numbers.
Musical ability on the other hand had an
adverse effect on choir enrollment; high
belief values of musical ability meant that a
student was less likely to join choir. While
this finding may seem strange at first glance,
one must remember that musical ability is
considered an internal stable attribute. If a
student views a stable attribute as important
to success at such a young age (when she
is still learning these abilities), it is not
surprising at all that she would opt out of a
performing group.
When all variables are considered, Table
3 shows that while gender was the best
predictor of choir enrollment, effort was
the next best predictor. It shows that effort
was a better predictor than SCIM. This
finding is pivotal. Much of the current
research has been focused on self-concept
and its significant correlation to gender
and enrollment (Lucas, 2011; J. R. Austin,
1990; Simpkins et al., 2010; Svengalis, 1978),
but more research into effort beliefs could
fundamentally change this understanding.
Conclusions and
Recommendations
The findings of this project are exciting.
Previous research has shown that selfconcept in music (the only predictor of
enrollment) declines with age, and that a
student’s background was the best way to
curb this decline (Lucas, 2011; J. R. Austin,
1990; Simpkins et al., 2010; Svengalis, 1978).
For music teachers that forecast was dim;
there was little for a music teacher to do to
build up her students in order to get them
and keep them involved in musical activities.
Attributional beliefs could change this
discouraging outlook.
This project implies that a teacher who
focuses on the importance of effort over
ability could see great gains in closing the
gender gap in secondary school choirs.
Teachers, then, should be mindful of making
comments during class that emphasize
students’ success as a result of putting in
effort and emphasize their failures as a result
of either not enough effort or ineffective
effort. This should help students understand
that ability is not stable, but something
that can be changed by effective levels of
effort. This approach could also see gains in
students’ self-concept in music.
This small first step of research was only
the beginning. This study will need to be
replicated with a larger sample of fifth grade
students from a variety of schools around
the country in order to verify the findings.
If verified, studies that measure teaching
styles and students’ attributional beliefs will
need to be conducted to see if there is merit
to the hypothesis that teachers can affect
students’ attributional beliefs. Qualitative
studies should also be carried out to better
understand the intricacies of why or why
not these approaches affect a student’s
attributional beliefs.
The possibilities are countless, but some
other informative studies are as follows:
studies that look into the attributional
beliefs of students who quit a choral
program; attributional beliefs in relation
to the other trends found in the review of
litureature (attraction, attitude, and ability);
attributional beliefs and correlation to
choosing band versus choir; attributional
beliefs and instrument choice; longitudinal
studies that follow students from elementary
through high school and track attributional
beliefs, self-concept, attitudes, grades, and
extra-curricular choices. Expanding on
this research into other fields could help us
better understand what motivates students
and hopefully guide music teachers to more
efficiently close the gender gap in choir.
References
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practices in working with male singers
before and during the voice change.
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Asmus, E. P., Jr. (1986). Student beliefs about
the causes of success and failure in music:
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Austin, J., Renwick, J., & McPherson, G. E.
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Dibben, N. (2002). Gender identity and
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Freer, P. K. (2007). Between research and
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Kennedy, M. A. (2002). “It’s cool because
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Lucas, M. (2011). Adolescent male
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Phillips, K. (1994). Recruiting singers for
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Phillips, K. (1995). Recruiting and retaining
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Pogonowski, L. M. (1985). Attitude
assessment of upper elementary students
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Simpkins, S. D., Vest, A. E., Dawes, N. P., &
Neuman, K. I. (2010). Dynamic relations
between parents’ behaviors and children’s
motivational beliefs in sports and music.
Parenting: Science & Practice, 10(2), 97.
doi: 10.1080/15295190903212638
Svengalis, J. N. (1978). Music attitude and the
preadolescent male. Ph.D. diss., University
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Sweet, B. (2010). Choral, a case study: Middle
school boys’ perceptions of singing and
participation in choir. Update: Applications
of Research in Music Education, 28(2),
5-12.
Vander Ark, S. D., Nolin, W. H., & Newman,
I. (1980). Relationships between musical
attitudes, self-esteem, social status,
and grade level of elementary children.
Bulletin of the Council for Research
in Music Education(62), 31-41. doi:
10.2307/40317591
Warnock, E. C. (2009). Gender and attraction:
Predicting middle school performance
ensemble participation. Contributions to
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Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of motivation for
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29
Reflections on Method Book Selection
Robin Schaps, Robert Whitaker, Robert Turner, Arthur Wright III, Gabriel Woods
preferences among teachers, researchers, and
Method books have become a necessity
although teachers and researchers agree
students; and determining “best practice”
in the band world. Directors use them
that books should address a wide variety of
strategies for using methods books.
in various ways with various degrees of
subject matter, they do not necessarily agree
satisfaction, and authors strive to meet
on which topics should be included: how
directors’ needs with various degrees of
to meet the national standards; exercises in
Some Current Themes
success. Meantime, instructional questions
music theory; multicultural and/or historical
persist: Is there a clear standard determining
information; applications of instructional
To determine in-service teachers’ thoughts
what makes a “good” method book? Do
technology; exercises for promoting student
and opinions on method books, a content
teachers, researchers, and students agree on
engagement, to name a few possibilities.
analysis of the Band Director Group on
the content of a “good” method book? How
Other, equally important, considerations
Facebook was conducted. This site has over
much difference can a “good book” make?
include pacing, sequencing of concepts, and
14,000 members and allows band directors
These issues have been considered for years,
alignment with the teacher’s educational
from across the country to discuss issues and
and method books have evolved and changed
philosophy. Given these individual
respond to questions. From the site’s wealth
in response. However, many music educators
differences in expectations and priorities, can
of posts and discussions about beginning
still feel they have not found the book that
we all agree on one method book? Should we
band methods, some interesting themes
meets all their needs.
agree?
emerged.
Directors choose method books they
The purpose of this project was to
Five method books were discussed most
believe will match the needs of their
inform these questions by reviewing the
often. Figure 1 shows the frequency of
programs,
each1using
a different
set of of the minstructional
material
common
toomany
Figure : Comment frequency ost discussed method books n the Band Director roup negativeGand
positive comments posted for
priorities to guide selection. Further,
method books; investigating “best content”
each of the five books, as of June 2014.
!
!Figure 1: Negative and positive comment frequency
Positive
Negative
40
17
30
20
5
2
15
24
25
8
20
16
14
10
0
i
ad
Tr
n
of
Ex
lle
ce
nc
e
e
nc
(2
1)
93
01
9
(1
0)
0)
01
(2
00
/2
9)
99
/1
91
01
(2
s
9
(1
lle
ns
ce
tio
Ex
va
of
no
In
d
ar
tio
nd
a
St
nd
ts
es
cc
en
Su
em
of
El
6)
!
!
!
u
So
l
ia
es
ur
nt
se
s
ea
M
Es
30
!
Figure 2: Comment analysis of !""#$%&'(!'#)#$*" !
!
!
!
In an analysis of negative/
positive comments, more
detailed discussion was
found on the newer books.
Figures 2 and 3 display the
variety of comments made
about two of the most
frequently discussed books,
Essential Elements and
Measures of Success.
Figure 2: Comment analysis of
Essential Elements
Figure 3: Comment analysis
of Measures of Success
Liked Because Sequencing
Liked Because CD
Disliked Because Boring
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS
Liked Because
Sequencing
3
Liked Because CD
2
Liked Because
History/Theory
1
Disliked Because
Used Too Long
21
Disliked Because
Boring
2
Disliked Because
Sequencing/
Rhythms
4
1
2
3
21
4
!
!
! 3: Comment analysis of Measures of Success Figure !
! !!
! !
!
!
MEASURES
OF SUCCESS
!
!
Liked because creative
2
!
! because of pacing
Liked
8
!
Liked
3
! because of chapter
organization
!
! because of theory, ear
Liked
2
! etc.
training,
!
! because of approach to
Liked
3
! break
clarinet
! because of tone production 1
Liked
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Liked Because History/Theory
Disliked Because Used Too Long
Disliked Because Sequencing/Rhythms
Liked because of CD
1
Liked because of key signature
exposure
2
Liked because of layout
3
Disliked because of pacing of
clarinet break
4
Disliked because of editing
mistakes
2
Disliked because of pacing with
scales
1
Disliked because of approach to
rhythms
1
Disliked because of CD
3
Disliked because of starting note
2
Disliked because of ensemble
pieces
2
Disliked because of layout
1
2
Liked because creative
Liked because of pacing
Liked because of chapter organization
Liked because of theory, ear training, etc.
Liked because of approach to clarinet break
Liked because of tone production
Liked because of CD
Liked because of key signature exposure
Liked because of layout
Disliked because of pacing of clarinet break
Disliked because of editing mistakes
Disliked because of pacing with scales
Disliked because of approach to rhythms
Disliked because of CD
Disliked because of starting note
Disliked because of ensemble pieces
Disliked because of layout
2
2
1
2
8
3
1
1
2
3
4
2
3
2
1 1
3
31
Figure 4: Most popular ideas for a brand new method book!
The first theme of note was that
teachers seemed to compare the newer
books to older and more familiar books,
rather than to a defined ideal. These
discussions prompted questions: Why
do teachers use method books or choose
to change method books? Is there is a
better way to approach the concept of
methods books? Has research been done
to inform these issues?
A second theme was found in the
responses to an open-ended question
about what teachers would include in a
brand new book if they were to create
one. It was noted that the content
preferences listed by current directors
were significantly different from those in
presently published books (See figure 4).
The review revealed a high level of
interest in discussing and analyzing
method books. Although many of the
comments on the older texts were not
analytic, discussions on the newer books
tended to present pros and cons in detail.
Figure 4: Most popular ideas for
a brand new method book
Pedagogical Effectiveness
The research literature was reviewed
to determine whether there is current
research to properly analyze the pedagogical
effectiveness of these new method books, in
addition to general research on instrumental
music learning and sequencing and its
manifestation in new method books. There
is a substantial number of current research
articles on methods books, but the content
and focus is somewhat surprising. Most
discuss such topics as national standards,
multicultural melodies, and historical context
of books, or provide a survey of method
books’ content. Effectiveness research on the
32
Concept/Idea,from,thread,(175,comments,total)
Number,of,
“likes”
*More,information/instruction,on,warmups
50
Emphasis,on,tone,production,,not,just,notes
38
*Eighth,notes,for,percussion,and,winds,at,the,same,time
37
*Simple,warmJups,involving,the,first,5,notes,J,long,tones,and,lip,slurs,and,
technique,like,the,Foundations,book,,but,for,beginners
37
*Correct,fingerings,in,the,fingering,chart
35
*Demonstrations,of,good,and,bad,tone,for,every,instrument
33
*Practice,guidance,J,warm,ups,,long,tones,,articulation,exercises,,ways,to,practice,
lines,from,the,book
31
*Right,hand,clarinet,notes,and,upper,register,clarinet,notes,earlier
31
*Percussion,J,no,“drum”,parts,for,a,while,to,emphasize,note,reading
30
*More,spiral,progression,of,skills,and,“real”,application,of,skills
29
*Different,approach,to,sequencing,other,than,“turn,the,page”,J,different,
organizing,where,the,teacher,chooses,how,to,progress,through,the,book
28
*App,to,go,with,the,book,J,include,professional,examples,,recordings,of,the,“real”,
examples,of,melodies,in,book,,extra,songs,,theory,games,,etc.
28
Include,a,SmartMusic,subscription
22
*Concept,chapters,built,from,beginnerJ12th,grade,J,not,chapters,based,on,
generalized,“difficulty”
20
More,penJandJpaper,written,work,within,the,book
20
*Include,enharmonic,names,for,all,notes,when,they,are,introduced
19
*Include,the,same,melody,in,all,12,keys
18
*More,songs,in,“nonJflat”,keys
18
*Use,the,same,melody,to,teach,all,new,concepts,J,variation,in,presentation,based,
on,the,concept,being,taught
15
Note.,The,,topics,are,listed,in,order,by,amount,of,“likes.”
Items,with,an,asterisk,were,original,ideas,and,not,present,in,previous,textbook,
discussions.
books is absent, as are findings, discussion,
and conclusions suggesting better ways to
structure the material.
The current research tends to concentrate
on meeting standards or proving validity
outside of the classroom. It is easy to find
information about which books have the
most historical anecdotes or the most
content from Spanish-speaking countries, or
to simply find a detailed list of the contents
of major books on the market. It is even
easy to find information on the history of
method books and how they have evolved
to meet the National Standards. However,
considering comments on the Band Director
Group, this research does not answer the
questions band directors are asking. It does
not provide information on the teaching/
learning process.
Having concluded that music education
research emphasizes theoretical knowledge
rather than practical use, we reviewed the
research on general education textbooks.
This search found some studies exploring
pertinent issues that were not exclusive to
music: effectiveness of a good textbook,
student interaction with textbooks, and
reasons for textbook preference. Although
general education research does not apply
directly to method book choice, it revealed
some important points to consider.
1. Students tend to favor texts that are
comfortable to read and make it easy
to concentrate (Gurung & Landrum,
2012). Their reception of textbooks is
better if information is presented in an
enjoyable manner.
2. Students often use their texts as little as
possible, mostly for practice problems
and as a reference to clarify information
they have been taught previously (Lee,
McNeil, Douglas, Koro-Ljungberg,
& Therriault, 2013). In situations
that apply to music education, band
students use their books to do “practice
problems” by playing exercises and to
refer to the fingering chart in the book if
they do not remember.
3. Classroom teachers prefer textbooks
that include supplemental editions
supporting teacher needs (Van
Steenbrugge, Valcke, & Desoete, 2013).
4. Although “holes” were found in the
exercises contained in different science
books, students tend to do well as long
as most of the content is covered in the
text (Sothayapetch, 2013; Gurung &
Landrum, 2012).
5. Multiple studies have shown that
ultimately the teacher is the driving
force behind learning material, which
makes the book the secondary item
in the equation (Swanson, 2014; Van
Steenbrugge et al., 2013).
Conclusions
Method books are a great tool for the
instrumental music educator. Although
there is disagreement in personal preference
related to sequencing, concepts, or
supplemental content, most can agree that
today’s method books provide ample material
to assist directors in efficiently and effectively
running a classroom rehearsal.
After reflecting on discussions of the
Band Directors Group on Facebook and
reviewing selective research, a few key ideas
stand out as worthy of consideration: 1) a
method book, although an effective tool,
cannot substitute for good instruction; 2)
instructional gaps can be easily overcome,
given the readily available supplemental
materials, cohort groups such as the Band
Directors Group, and director creativity;
3) although many directors have ideas and
fantasies about creating their own book,
very few have taken the initiative—perhaps
because time can be better spent in analytic
reflection while using the methods book of
their choosing to fullest potential.
Finally, it appears there is no magic book,
no chemical additive, no late night TV cureGEORGIA MUSIC NEWS, VOL. 74, NUMBER 4, FALL 2014
all for the instruction of instrumental music
students. Simply put, while one method
may prove effective one year, or for many,
there may come a time where change is
necessary. Perhaps change is crucial just to
stir the pot and awaken creativeness. After
all, that is part of the magic of creating
music–sharing one’s own voice and enjoying
the rewards that follow. Perhaps the same
view can be applied to method books. They
are wonderful tools, but the greatest tool
available to our students is not the method
book; it is the director that stands in front of
them. Teach the child via the material, not
the material via the child.
References
Barbosa, J. (1999). Developing a Brazilian
band method book II. Bulletin of the
Council for Research in Music Education,
141, 10-13.
Branscome, E. (2005). A historical analysis
of textbook development in American
music: Education and the impetus for the
National Standards for Music Education.
Arts Education Policy Review, 107(2),
13-19.
Brittin, R., & Sheldon, D. (2004). An analysis
of band method books: Implications of
culture, composer, and type of music.
Bulletin of the Council for Research In
Music Education, (161-162), 47-55.
Byo, J. L. (1988). Beginning band instruction:
A comparative analysis of selected class
method books. Update: Applications of
Research in Music Education, 7(1), 19.
Gamin, R. M. (2005). Teacher perceptions
regarding attrition in beginning
instrumental music classes during the
first year of study. Contributions to Music
Education, 32(2), 43-64.
Gu, W. (2010). Were our mathematics
textbooks a mile wide and an inch deep?
Online Submission, 229.
Gurung, R., and Landrum, R. E. L. (2012).
Comparing student perceptions of
textbooks: Does liking influence
learning? International Journal of
Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education, 24(2), 144–150
Hartley, L. (1996). Influence of starting grade
and school organization on enrollment
and retention in beginning instrumental
music. Journal of Research in Music
Education, 44(4), 304-318.
Heavener, T., & Leesheldon, D. A. C.
(1998). Dissertation reviews: An
analysis of beginning band methods
books for principles of comprehensive
musicianship. Bulletin of the Council for
Research in Music Education. 136, 81–85.
Lee, C. S., McNeill, N. J., Douglas, E. P.,
Koro-Ljungberg, M. E., & Therriault,
D. J. (2013). Indispensable Resource? A
Phenomenological Study of Textbook
Use in Engineering Problem Solving.
Journal of Engineering Education, 102(2),
269–288.
Sampson, U. (1967). An identification of
deficiencies in past and current method
books for beginning heterogeneous
wind-percussion class instrumental
music instruction.
Sothayapetch, P. (2013). A comparative study
of science education at the primary school
level in Finland and Thailand. Ph.D.
diss., University of Helsinki.
Swanson, R. A. (2014). A relationship
analysis: A professor, 500 students, and
an assigned textbook. History Teacher,
47(2), 289-302.
Van Steenbrugge, H. H., Valcke, M. M., &
Desoete, A. A. (n.d.). Teachers’ views of
mathematics textbook series in Flanders:
Does it (not) matter which mathematics
textbook series schools choose? Journal
of Curriculum Studies, 45(3), 322-353.
Volk, T. M. (2007) “Charts and other
paraphernalia”: Charles H. Congdon
(1856-1928) and his music teaching
materials. Journal of Research in Music
Education, 55, 302-312.
Wolters, C., & Taylor, D. (2012). A selfregulated learning perspective on student
engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A. L.
Reschly & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook
of research on student engagement (pp.
635-651). New York: Springer Science +
Business Media.
Woody, W., Daniel, D. B., & Baker, C. A.
(2010). E-books or textbooks: Students
prefer textbooks. Computers &
Education, 55(3), 945-948.
Robin Schaps is band director at North
Gwinnett Middle School, Sugar Hill
Robert Turner is band director at Greater
Atlanta Christian School, Norcross
Robert Whitaker is band director at
Grovetown Middle School, Augusta
Gabriel Woods is band director at Shiloh
Middle School, Snellville
Arthur Wright is band director at Savannah
State University, Savannah.
33
Selecting Secular Music for the Public High
School Chorus
Linda Rigamer Lirette
List the repertoire you have studied with
your high school chorus students in the past
year. Now divide the selections on your list
into two categories: sacred and secular. Are
you surprised by what you see? Regardless of
whether your list is lopsided in either direction
or perfectly balanced, if you are surprised, you
may wish to consider the sacred/secular binary
when you program future concerts. While
choral teachers choose repertoire through
varied selection methods, all conscientious
choral teachers seek to program quality
music—music that will enrich the lives of
singers and provide meaningful learning
opportunities (Forbes, 2001). Many choral
teachers strive to program music representing
multiple genres and cultures, but many may
not consider the sacred or secular nature
of a piece when they make their selections.
Teaching religious music is not the same as
proselytizing, but teachers should be aware
that students who do not belong to the faith
tradition espoused may feel out of place.
Choral teachers working in public high schools
in the United States have a responsibility to
create inclusive classrooms, so programming
high quality secular music can and should
be common practice. If your latest concerts
have been lopsided in favor of sacred music,
you might benefit from selecting some new
secular music for your chorus. If your concerts
have included a balance of sacred and secular
works or a majority of secular works by happy
accident, you might benefit from selecting
secular music with intention.
There are various reasons why choral
teachers may not program much secular music.
If choral teachers come from a background
rich with experiences singing sacred works and
limited in exposure to secular works, they may
not know the wealth of music available. They
may hold misconceptions regarding the quality
of secular choral music or their responsibility
to include sacred works in their curricula.
While I do not argue for the exclusion of
sacred music in public schools, I maintain that
educators should remove barriers to student
participation. When we program sacred music,
we must be sensitive to our students’ diversity.
Music is for everyone. Our repertoire choices
should reflect that belief. So how do we select
repertoire for the 21st century classroom?
34
The Need for Secular
Repertoire Selections
When we program music without giving
thought to the sacred nature of some
pieces, we may inadvertently operate from
the assumption that our students share
a homogenous culture in which these
pieces are meaningful in the same way.
This assumption is rarely true. A piece that
provides a religious experience for one
student may simply offer pretty sonorities
to another. And it may alienate another
student from the rest of the class.
As Julia Shaw explains in an article on
culturally responsive classrooms, “American
music education has historically been based
on Eurocentric frameworks, the relevance
and efficacy of which have been questioned
as society has become increasingly diverse”
(p.75). When we choose music, we must
consider the message we are sending
through our choices. By selecting a piece
for study and performance, we are affirming
its merit as a pedagogical pursuit. If we
program music derived exclusively from
some sacred traditions, we imply that other
music is not as worthy for study. As Shaw
explains, “to reject a person’s music can only
feel as if we are rejecting him” (p. 75). By
including sacred music from multiple faith
traditions and by including secular music,
we broaden our students’ cultural horizons
and validate students’ backgrounds.
Religion is a contentious issue, and even
when we try to embrace diverse beliefs, we
may make mistakes. Adria Hoffman (2011)
discusses how “teachers may unintentionally
place school and home values in direct
conflict with one another, possibly leading
students to disengage from school music
programs” (p. 55). For example, Hoffman
mentions a teacher who asked her only
Jewish student to give a presentation
about Hanukkah to help the rest of the
class understand more about Judaism and
about why he did not sing Christmas songs.
Although the teacher may have been trying
to include the student, the student was
singled out; asked to be a representative
expert for his culture, he was set apart by
his difference. Shaw (2012) observes that
teachers should “avoid essentializing culture
by assuming that all people belonging to a
social category are culturally similar,” adding
that “[s]electing quality arrangements or
performing in a variety of languages might
be important first steps, but can fall short of
cultural responsiveness when accompanied
by assumptions that any single musical
tradition is representative of or relevant to
all people of a given cultural background”
(p. 78). By selecting secular music, teachers
are choosing to teach music that is neutral
in terms of religion, but it is not necessarily
culturally neutral, so teachers should still
choose selections with attention to the
message a song, or the selection of that song,
can send. Choosing music that celebrates
diverse cultures, and discussing cultural
connections to music during class may be a
step in the right direction.
Misconceptions and
Reservations
Music educators may have concerns
about selecting secular choral pieces, either
because of misconceptions about the quality
of secular choral music available or because
of reservations about neglecting important
sacred works. The National Association for
Music Educators (NAfME) confirms these
reservations in its position statement on
sacred music in schools, in which it states
that “the omission of sacred music from
the school curriculum would result in an
incomplete music education” (NAfME,
1996). Selecting secular music does not
require sacrificing quality. Pop music, show
tunes, and other “light” secular works have
their place in the choral curriculum, but they
are not the only options for non-religious
music. This is not news to most educators,
but many still lack a familiarity with secular
repertoire, and they are hesitant to tread in
unknown waters.
Other educators bemoan the possible
neglect of beautiful and historically
important sacred words. What about
Handel’s Messiah? What about [insert other
religious work here]? I do not suggest we
eliminate all sacred music from schools.
We have a responsibility to share great
music with our students and to introduce
them to major works in the Western
classical tradition, many of which are
sacred. To exclude these works from a
music curriculum would be revisionist, a
misguided omission. To exclude students
from the study of music would be a graver
mistake.
When performing a piece would
compromise a student’s beliefs, educators
must present other options. One common
option is having the affected student
complete an alternate assignment when
religious observance or non-observance
prompts her to recuse herself. This is
sometimes the best course of action. If this is
the only option available to students, though,
it is inadequate. Another option might be
to include great sacred works in a choral
curriculum without requiring students
to sing them. Depending on students’
faiths, they may be able to study scores
or actively listen to recordings of major
works, analyzing them and discussing their
importance as well as their context. There
is limited literature available about these
alternatives in practice, so the best route
may be for teachers to communicate with
students and their families about what is and
is not acceptable.
Choral teachers can choose concert dates
and performance locations with sensitivity
to students’ faith traditions and cultural
practices. For example, scheduling a concert
on a Friday night may conflict with a
Jewish student’s observance of the Sabbath.
Scheduling rehearsals in the evenings during
Ramadan may lead a Muslim student to
choose between attending rehearsal or
breaking his fast with his family. Booking a
school concert in a church might preclude
a student from performing if her faith does
not permit her to enter another religion’s
place of worship. If we are not sensitive to
differences when we make these choices, we
risk putting students in a situation where
they are asked to choose between their value
systems and their commitment to chorus
(Hoffman, 2011). To avoid that conflict, such
students might choose to leave chorus or not
to re-enroll in future years.
Programming with all students in mind
by choosing mostly secular music in your
chorus’s repertoire is just another choice
choral teachers can make to include
students. Provided that the secular music
is well chosen, it can only enhance their
experience, not detract from it.
Selecting Secular Pieces
for the 21st Century Choral
Classroom
Because of their potential to exclude fewer
students, secular choral pieces should be
predominant in public high school choral
programs, but we must yet determine a
dependable selection process. Whether
sacred or secular, high-quality music is highquality music. We can choose high-quality
secular music using the same selection
criteria as we would to select high-quality
sacred music. So the question shifts: What
is high-quality choral music? Previous music
education scholars have recognized quality
in choral repertoire through various sets
of criteria (Abrahams, 2008; Broeker, 2000;
Forbes, 2001; Mayhall, 1994). These sets of
criteria provide a solid basis for the choosing
of quality secular repertoire. Any selection
on a list of quality secular choral music
should meet the following criteria: it should
help students develop their musicianship,
match the needs and goals of the ensemble,
and nourish the aesthetic spirit of singers
and listeners.
Selecting for Musical
Development
When choosing music for the choral
classroom, most conductors choose pieces
in part for their ability to develop students’
musical development. When choral teachers
choose octavos for the opportunities they
provide to help students develop musical
skills, they may be looking for a variety of
things. For example, Angela Broeker (2000)
asks about the “pedagogical implications”
and the “singability” of a piece not only
for which musical elements can be taught
through the piece, but also for how it will
help students develop vocal technique
(p. 26). As Guy Forbes (2001) chronicles
in a report on the selection practices of
high school choral teachers, one of the
most common explanations teachers give
for limiting popular music selections is
that these pieces fail to develop students’
musicianship in an adequate manner. This
explanation implies that choral teachers
choose pieces based on their potential to
give students practice with musical skills.
All three of John Richmond’s (1990)
criteria—exemplar, form, and percepts
models—are organized around pedagogical
opportunities; it is just a matter of what
choral teachers want students to learn.
Choral teachers who follow these models
may all teach the same repertoire in slightly
different ways. Those who mostly follow
the exemplar model may wish to instill
that a work represents something larger.
For example, they may have students study
Handel’s Messiah as representative of the
Baroque period. Like a survey course, these
exemplars serve to touch on larger topics
like a genre, style or form, or they may
be an excellent example of the style of a
contemporary or historical culture.
Those who follow the forms model
laid out by Richmond might emphasize
forms from a particular time period. Such
choral teachers will select music that
follows a specific form, giving students a
sense of historical trends as well as explicit
application of music theories, so teachers
presenting Handel’s Messiah from a form
model might focus on the work’s structure,
comparing and contrasting it with other
oratorios or with the structure of an opera.
Similarly, those who follow the percepts
model may choose music with specific
elements of standards in mind. For example,
if a teacher wants students to meet a
standard like reading and notating music and
designs a unit around improving students’
sight-reading skills, she may choose to have
students sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” with
solfège. If students sing solfège to the melody
of sacred work, such as Handel’s “Hallelujah
Chorus” from Messiah, are they performing
a sacred or secular piece? Text is what makes
the secular/sacred conundrum uniquely
choral. (Although band and orchestra
certainly contend with this issue, the absence
of text makes it a less obvious concern.)
Regardless of which particular model a
choral teacher follows, the goal is to choose
music that helps students develop their
musicianship.
A song’s tendency to invite pedagogical
opportunity for musicianship is an
important part of selection criteria for
quality music, both sacred and secular, but it
cannot stand alone. Frank Abrahams (2005)
emphasizes musical validity over pedagogical
usefulness, but these are not mutually
exclusive attributes. Whether choral teachers
choose a piece for pedagogical purposes,
the desire to include quality secular music
stems from wanting students to know and
experience it, to learn it.
Selecting for Ensemble Fit
Quality is contextual. When choosing
quality music, Bruce Mayhall (1994)
emphasizes it must fit a group’s mission.
A chorus class at a Catholic university will
have different goals than a singing school
35
organized around singing Sacred Harp
music, and those will differ still from the
goals of a Baptist church choir or a Sufi
singing ensemble. Choruses in public high
schools should strive to select music that
matches their missions. If the mission of
public high school chorus in the United
States is democratic in nature, then it should
entail encouraging as many students as
possible to grow as musicians.
Mayhall (1994) and Forbes (2001) also
believe the difficulty of music selections
should match the skill of the chorus. This
does not mean that singers should be able
to sing all selections with ease. Psychologist
Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (1990) describes
“flow” as a state where people become
absorbed in and take joy in their work, a
zone where a task is just the right balance
between difficult and easy. Forbes (2001)
also makes match a prime selection
criterion, referring not only to musicianship
levels but also to considerations like the size
of the group and how it is balanced as well
as to students’ emotional development and
goals. These latter considerations may fit
within the framework Kevin Mixon (2009)
discusses when writing about educating
students with “culturally responsive” musical
selections. Mixon explains that we engage
students when we choose repertoire that
reflects their backgrounds and interests.
Match can also encompass audience
expectations (Forbes, 2009), but it need not
always meet an audience’s expectations.
Sometimes finding a good match means
subverting or disrupting what the audience
has come to expect.
meaninglessness. Even for native Spanish
speakers, the lyrics do not make strict
sense, but the joy of enunciating paired
phrases is evident to anyone with a proper
pronunciation guide. The music we select
for our choruses should invite singers and
listeners to share a meaningful experience.
Meaning comes from text, but meaning
is also derived from experience. The deeper
aspect of “meaning” may be the most elusive
because it may be the most subjective,
but it is also the most important. What
makes a song meaningful? Forbes (2001)
says it is musical validity; Carlos Abril
(2006) labels it authenticity, or “cultural
integrity” (p. 35). For Rebecca Roesler
(2014), meaningful musical experiences
are the result of authentic and meaningful
musical goals, goals which “focus attention
on human expression and interpersonal
communication” (p. 40). If a piece of music
espouses religious beliefs or is deeply rooted
in a faith tradition, it may provide profound
meaning for some participants, singers and
listeners alike. It may just as easily create a
barrier between singer or listener and their
appreciation of a song. Music can invite
participants to become open, impressionable
and vulnerable. Participants can experience
delight, humor, pathos, and catharsis. As
choral teachers, we want our students to
feel safe as they open themselves to musical
experiences. There are many secular works
that provide opportunities for singers and
listeners to connect, songs that inspire a
common faith in humanity.
Selecting Text for Aesthetic
Meaning
In many cases, choosing quality secular
repertoire, or choosing any quality
repertoire, may still boil down to recognition
and intuition. But new choral teachers
may not trust their developing instincts,
and even experienced choral teachers can
find themselves with limited time to listen
and search for new music. Conductors
need a set of reference criteria for selecting
pieces, but they should also have access to
places to search for quality pieces. Current,
useful resources are essential, and in a book
chapter on repertoire selection, Patrick
Freer (2009) recommends several types of
resources. In addition to listing a few current
methods books, he suggests searching the
festival and all-state repertoire lists and
recordings for ideas. Lists like these can be
particularly helpful in scanning for secular
selections because other choral teachers in
the field have already vetted the choices for
quality, and usually they are already sorted
Text is the surface level aspect of meaning.
It can still be integral to our ability to
appreciate a piece of music, particularly for
pieces sung in languages we understand.
Although text should be an important
consideration for any work, sacred or secular
(Abrahams, 2005), it stands out as the one
category where selection criteria for choral
music is distinct from instrumental music. It
is primarily the text that determines whether
a choral piece is sacred or secular. While
all of the other criteria for quality should
apply when selecting any piece of music, this
category is key to selecting quality secular
music.
A text can sing and create meaning
without making sense. The onomatopoeia
in Stephen Hatfield’s arrangement of “Las
Amarillas” is an example of meaningful
36
Secular Selection in Practice
by difficulty. It is possible to rule out most
of the sacred pieces based on their titles,
freeing more time to listen to unfamiliar
songs. Participating in district honor
chorus and all state events—good practices
anyway—can give choral teachers additional
opportunities to discover secular songs that
will meet the needs of their choruses. This
year alone, I was introduced to Morten
Lauridsen’s “Sure on This Shining Night,”
Rosephanye Powell’s “To Sit and Dream,”
and Yongrub’s “Dörven Dalai” through my
students’ participation in these choruses.
These choices and the others listed above
meet the criteria discussed in this paper.
Ultimately, choosing high-quality secular
music involves using the same practices as
choosing high-quality sacred music. We are
choosing music for our students. Choral
teachers might not actively consider sacred
or secular aspects when programming
music, or they might keep perfectly balanced
records as proof of their commitment to
diversity. Whatever we do, we should do
it for the sake of supporting our students
in the most inclusive and welcoming way
possible—inviting them to sing without
presenting obstacles to their cultural
practices.
I started to consider the sacred and
secular nature of my choral selections when
I received an email from my student Delia’s
mother. She noticed her daughter’s chorus
grade was low. She asked if it was because
her daughter was only singing half of the
songs. This was news to me. Delia’s grade
was low because she had not turned in
an assignment. Why was she only singing
half of the songs? How had I not noticed
this? Delia and her family are Jehovah’s
Witnesses. They do not sing any religious
songs except for those approved by their
church. She could not complete the practice
assignment because the song I had assigned
had a religious text. They had not mentioned
this in the welcome survey at the beginning
of the year. Delia never spoke to me about
it or requested an alternate assignment.
Because my repertoire selections included
both sacred and secular works, I had
unintentionally been excluding a child from
full participation in our chorus. She was
singing the works in school but not at home,
trying to please both family and school. I was
surprised. I was troubled. I never wanted
Delia to feel conflicted about participating
in chorus.
Considering students’ beliefs when
we select music benefits all students.
As Kate Fitzpatrick (2012) discusses in
an essay on teachers’ roles in cultural
responsiveness, “Although we often discuss
issues of culturally relevant pedagogy
when discussing…students who belong
to nondominant…groups, all students
are better served by teaching that takes
into account who they are and what they
have experienced” (p. 57). I do not want
Delia, or any student, to feel alienated. As
music teachers, we have a responsibility
to welcome each child musically and
to embrace the diversity we find in our
classrooms.
In spite of this desire to include Delia, I
had reservations about changing my musical
selections for the benefit of one student.
I believed, in accordance with NAfME
(1996), that I would be remiss to omit sacred
music from my curriculum. In examining
my position, I began to ask myself those
core questions about why we teach what
we teach. I realized that by taking such a
dogmatic stance about my responsibility
to introduce students to choral literature
including sacred music, I was overlooking
a more important responsibility. Ultimately
if there are two responsibilities—exposing
students to the rich and broad field of choral
music; and fostering an inclusionary learning
environment where they come together and
sing—and if these responsibilities contradict
each other, it is more important to share
music together and to foster the experience
of participating in music making. By
selecting secular music for our public high
school chorus, choral directors honor that
second, and primary, responsibility.
References
Abrahams, F. (2005). Meeting national
standards for music education through
choral performance. In H. J. Buchanan &
M. W. Mehaffey (Eds.), Teaching music
through performance in choir: Vol. 1 (pp.
57-79). Chicago: GIA Publications.
Broeker, A. (2000). Developing a children’s
choir concert. Music Educators Journal,
87(1), 26.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The
Psychology of Optimal Experience. New
York, New York: HarperCollins.
Fitzpatrick, K. R. (2012). Cultural diversity
and the formation of identity: Our role
as music teachers. Music Educators
Journal, 98(4), 53-59.
Forbes, G. W. (2001). The repertoire
selection practices of high school choral
directors. Journal of Research in Music
Education, 49(2), 102-121.
Freer, P. K. (2009). Getting Started in
the Middle School Chorus. Lanham,
Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield
Education.
Hoffman, A. R. (2011). Rethinking religion
in music education. Music Educators
Journal, 97(4), 55-59.
Mayhall, B. (1994). The quest for highquality repertoire. Choral Journal, 35(2),
9-15.
Mixon, K. (2009). Engaging and educating
students with culturally responsive
performing ensembles. Music Educators
Journal, 95(4), 66-73.
National Association of Music Educators.
(1996). Sacred music in schools. Position
Statement. Retrieved from http://
musiced.nafme.org/about/positionstatements/sacred-music-in-schools/
Richmond, J. W. (1990). Selecting choral
repertoire as pre-curriculum: Planned
serendipity. Choral Journal, 30(10),
23-30.
Shaw, J. (2012). The skin that we sing:
Culturally responsive choral music
education. Music Educators Journal,
98(4), 75-81.
Behavior Management Through Middle School
Students’ Eyes
Christine E. Pobursky
Picture this: a beautiful rehearsal hall,
thousands of dollars in equipment, folders
full of music, and the band director is
ready for a new school year. Then, 75
middle school children, each equipped
with their own story and hormones enter
the classroom. What’s a teacher to do?
Behavior management plays a vital role
in music classrooms around the world.
Teachers develop their own sense of
classroom and behavior management
during their student teaching and other
experiences. They observe others and
borrow or adapt ideas. Books and articles
on the topic are abundant. However, rarely
is the student’s opinion considered.
Purpose
This study focused on behavior
management techniques from middle
school students’ perspectives. The purpose
of this study was to determine which
commonly used behavior management
techniques are most effective and helpful for
students and evaluate how aware students
are of their own behavior.
Method
3% Asian, and 3% Multi-Racial. The free
and reduced lunch rate for the school
is 79%. The researcher taught five band
classes and one general music class for the
school. All subjects were enrolled in either
a band or a general music class at the time
of the survey.
Subjects
Procedure
This study surveyed 276 students in
sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The
group consisted of 165 males and 111
females. The students attended a public,
Title I middle school in Mableton, part
of the Cobb County School District. The
school’s enrollment fluctuates, with a
transiency rate of approximately 60%, but
was approximately 850 students at the time
of data collection. The student population
consisted of approximately 47% AfricanAmericans, 31% Hispanics, 17% Caucasians,
Prior to disseminating the survey, key
concepts were discussed to ensure students
understood survey questions. Topics
discussed included off-task, strong impact,
weak impact, and peers. Subjects were
allowed 15 minutes to complete the survey.
Any questions or requests for clarity were
addressed to the full group. Surveys were
collected upon completion.
Survey Information
The survey contained eight multiple37
choice questions and one short-answer
question. The short-answer question asked
subjects to elaborate on a “Yes” response to
question eight.
Results
Table 1, below, displays the data collected
for each multiple-choice question found in the
survey. The most popular response is in bold.
When asked about personal redirection,
88 students preferred a nonverbal look from
their teacher. The second most common
selection was a verbal reminder to the entire
class. This data shows the desire of students
not to be called out individually before their
peers. Students overwhelmingly voiced their
opinion that warnings should come in sets
of three: “Three strikes and you’re out,” one
student wrote. Questions four through seven
addressed strategies with the strongest and
weakest impact on behavior of students and
their peers. Surprisingly, students provided
conflicting answers when asked about their
personal preference, compared to their peers.
While similarities existed when considering
less effective strategies, the students’ opinions
differed from their individual response to
their view of their peers. 66 students felt
detention held the strongest impact on their
peers. However, 98 students stated positive
parent phone calls had stronger impacts on
their personal behavior. Strategies viewed
as least effective, both for the student being
surveyed and for their peers, was written
assignments/time outs
When reflecting on their personal
behavior, 179 students indicated consistent
behavior for different teachers. The
remaining 97 students, however, admitted
to altering their behavior based on a variety
of reasons. Over one-third of behaviorshifting students explain their change in
behavior in relation to their teachings being
“nice,” “mean,” or “fun.” A total of 17 students
indicated they “don’t know” why their
behavior changes or gave no response at
all. The remaining responses varied from
negative comments about the school, specific
teachers, or subjects to suggesting peer
influence and class time.
Discussion
The survey results show a desire for
positive teacher-parent communication and
clear expectations to be established. When
needed, nonverbal redirection is preferred.
When verbal redirections occur, students
favor an encompassing, full-group statement.
Students surveyed indicated verbal
redirection to an individual would be less
38
effective. This is not to say that individual
redirection is ineffective, but rather the
less preferred method. Perhaps the groupcentered behavior management preference
reduces the feeling of vulnerability and
reflects Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Limitations of this study are found
in the group and lack of elaboration in
responses. All subjects surveyed attend one
school, perhaps limiting their perspective.
Expanding the survey group to include
additional schools would not only provide
more data, but also a more diverse subject
group. Subjects were not asked to provide
justification for their responses. Such
clarification may have provided insight to
the adolescents’ minds and choices. Also,
perhaps provided knowledge as to students’
responses or reactions to less preferred
methods of behavior management.
The outcome of this study revealed a
middle school interpretation of behavior
management strategies. Preferred strategies
do not single out, but rather place
emphasis on group focus, motivation, and
concentration.
Christine Pobursky is director of bands at
Holcomb Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta.
Table 1. Student Survey, with Number of Responses
Student Survey, with Number of Responses
1. If you are off-task, which helps you get back on-task best?
a. The teacher walking closer to me
b. The teacher reminding the class to focus (not you individually)
c. The teacher reminding YOU to focus
d. The teacher giving you “a look”
No response/multiple responses
2. If another student (not you) is off-task, which do you think helps your
classmates best?
a. The teacher walking closer to the off-task student
b. The teacher reminding the class to focus (not an individual)
c. The teacher reminding the off-task student to focus
d. The teacher giving the off-task student “a look”
3. How many warnings should a student receive before a detention
is assigned?
a. No warnings; immediate detention
b. 1 warning
c. 2 warnings
d. 3 warnings
4. For YOU, which has the STRONGEST impact on your behavior in class?
a. Clear expectations and consequences at the beginning of the
school year (or quarter)
b. Parent phone calls about GOOD behavior
c. Parent phone calls about POOR behavior d. Student/teacher conference after class
e. Detention
f. Written assignment/time out
5. For YOU, which has the WEAKEST impact on your behavior in class?
a. Clear expectations and consequences at the beginning of the school
year (or quarter)
b. Parent phone calls about GOOD behavior c. Parent phone calls about POOR behavior
d. Student/teacher conference after class
e. Detention
f. Written assignment/time out
51
74
55
88
8
58
77
84
56
1
21
56
69
128
2
56
98
29
27
25
27
13
44
45
52
22
41
63
8
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39
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40
Spotlight on a Cobb County Trend-Setter: Barber Middle
School Men’s Chorus
In Cobb County,
“Real Men” Sing!
Keeping
boys singing
through the
vocal change is
a well known
and much
discussed
problem—
except at
Barber Middle,
where “singing
is the thing.”
This year,
the Barber
Men’s Chorus
numbers 84 enthusiastic members drawn
from grades seven and eight. Because of the
success of the group, singing men are no
longer considered “uncool” or “dorky.”
After the Barber Men’s Chorus sang at
a Cobb County School District leadership
meeting, where Melissa Arasi spoke about
the “best practice” of teaching genders
separately, choral directors at several other
Cobb County middle schools showed interest
in the concept. Simpson Middle School
(Katie Leverett, director) has now begun
to adopt a structure similar to Barber’s.
Two other schools are considering similar
approaches but so far have not been able to
work out their schedules.
According to Lisa Davidson, choral
director, the Barber Men’s Chorus came into
being by accident.
The Barber Men’s Chorus
changed my life and my complete
thought process. It taught me
leadership, teamwork, and how
to bring happiness to someone,
not by speaking—by singing!
- Sam Buatu, Barber MS Class of ’14
“As a third year teacher at Barber Middle
School in Cobb County, I felt uncomfortable
dealing with the changing voice, so I
convinced the administration to let me divide
the eighth-grade students into two choruses
by gender. That fall I learned a lot (probably
more than the boys did!). Without the
cumbersome mixed rehearsal atmosphere,
I was able to improve my skills and give the
guys the attention they deserved. When
we formed an SAB for LGPE the following
spring, the ensemble was much, much better.
For the first time we received straight I’s in
all areas of the assessment. The next year
we also used the “split choir” method in the
seventh grade and combined the seventhand eighth-grade men into one class—the
Barber Men’s Chorus.
“For the first few years, the men’s chorus
numbered 35-45. I recruited during the
summer, holding one- or two-day camps
called “Practice, Play, and Pizza.” We would
do a singing clinic first, follow with “open
gym,” and finish the day with pizza. Rising
seventh- and eighth- grade students were
permitted to bring one friend they thought
would be a good fit for the group, and usually
by the end of the day they would want to
be enrolled. The summer recruitment plan
allowed me to have my rosters ready for preplanning and ensure that the men’s chorus
would be large enough to justify keeping the
structure of the program.
“Now that the men’s combined group is
well established, with over 80 members and
in its seventh year of existence, we sing some
TB, but mostly TBB and TTBB literature. The
students at Barber take a lot of ownership in
the program and so, needless to say, the men’s
chorus concerts are well attended and the
group receives a lot of support. Most recently
we were able to commission ‘The Dawn’s
Awake!’ by composer Laura Farnell. It was
released in January 2014 and we premiered
it at LGPE in March of 2014. The guys are
very proud of this and have learned the
importance of inspiring new choral works.
“Having had this experience, I am
convinced that establishing a middle school
men’s chorus will keep them singing through
the period of vocal change. Of course, a
structure such as this is possible only with
strong administrative and collegial support.
The Barber Men’s Chorus has that with
principal Lisa Williams, GMEA’s 2014
Administrator of the Year, and a cooperative,
helpful instrumental faculty, band directors
Robert Grogran and Michael Cahal and
orchestra director Mark Burroughs.
Sousa Junior Honors
Band to Meet at
Valdosta State
All students in Georgia Middle School
Band programs are invited to apply as a
member of the Sousa Foundation Junior
Honors Band, to be held at Valdosta State
University on November 20-23. Conductor
for the Sousa Foundation is Graham Jones,
41
former director of the Coldstream Guards
and senior director of the Household
Division, London, England. Jones is highly
respected as a conductor and military music
director of numerous musical events on the
international stage. He will serve as music
director for the upcoming Zurich Tattoo in
Switzerland and is a featured guest lecture
aboard the Queen Mary. Most recently,
he was guest conductor for the adult
summer band at “Music at the Summit” in
Breckenridge, Colorado.
For further
information,
contact Deborah
Bradley, Sousa
FoundationSoutheaster
Honor Band
chair, bradband@
bellsouth.net.
Lt. Col.
Graham Jones
Georgia Educators Present at Midwest
Music education in Georgia will be
well represented at the 2014 Midwest
Clinic International Band, Orchestra, and
Music Conference by two performing
groups and seven clinicians. Performances
will be given by the Duluth High School
Chamber Orchestra, under the direction
of Peter Lemonds and Shawn Morton, and
the Dickerson Middle School Percussion
ensemble, directed by Scott Brown.
Clinicians include Catherine Hudnall, Erin
Cole, Travis Downs, Freddie Martin, Chester
Phillips, Scott Brown, and Alfred Wyatt.
The 68th annual conference will take place
December 17-20 at McCormick Place West,
Chicago. Events will center on the theme
“Affirm—Inspire—Educate: You Make the
Difference.”
Duluth High School Chamber
Orchestra
Peter Lemonds and Shawn Morton, Directors
Duluth High School Chamber Orchestra
Peter Lemonds
42
Shawn Morton
The Duluth High School Orchestra
Program currently enrolls 335 string
players in six orchestras and employs two
directors. The Chamber Orchestra has been
honored numerous times for its excellence,
including recognition as the top public
school orchestra in the country at the 2005
National Orchestra Festival at the American
String Teachers Association and placing first
in the 2013 National Band and Orchestra
Festival at Lincoln Center. The Duluth
High School Orchestra Program reflects
the rich ethnic diversity of the school, with
students representing 62 countries and
40 languages. In addition to studying and
performing music of the European classical
tradition, students also study and perform
music of alternative styles from their native
countries and explore the music of America
through the idioms of jazz, blues, swing, and
traditional American fiddle music. Each year
the orchestra marches in the Duluth Fall
Festival parade as one of the only marching
orchestras in America.
Peter Lemonds has enjoyed a varied
music career. A winner of the Alpha Delta
Kappa International Cello Competition,
he has performed numerous concerts as
a soloist and chamber musician in the
United States and abroad. As an educator,
he has directed the orchestra program for
the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program,
and has taught at the Lovett School, the
Paideia School, Wheeler High School, East
Cobb Middle School, North Gwinnett High
School, and Duluth Middle School. He holds
a D.M.A. degree from the Conservatory of
Music at the University of Missouri, an M.M.
degree from Louisiana State University, and
a B.A. from the University of the South,
Sewanee. In 2011 Lemonds received the
Distinguished Educator Award from the Yale
University School of Music, and in 2013 he
was named the Georgia String Educator of
the Year by the American String Teachers
Association.
Shawn Morton graduated summa cum
laude from the University of Georgia with a
B.M. degree in music education and a minor
in viola performance. She has worked as a
sectional coach with the Gwinnett County
Youth Symphony, and she has served as a
clinician for local school orchestras, the
Spivey Hall Chamber Orchestra Workshop,
the Gwinnett County Violapalooza Festival,
the Gwinnett County Sixth Grade Honor
Orchestra, the UGA Summer Music Camp,
and various other workshops and clinics.
She has conducted student orchestras at
the 2007 Midwest Clinic, 2009 American
String Teachers Association Conference, the
2011 Georgia Music Educators Association
Conference, and the 2013 National Band
and Orchestra Festival at Lincoln Center.
Under her direction, the Duluth High School
Orchestras received the 2013 Exemplary
Program Award from GMEA.
Dickerson Middle School
Percussion Ensemble
Scott Brown, Director
Dickerson Middle School Percussion Ensemble
Scott Brown,
Director
Founded in the spring of 2002, the
Dickerson Percussion Ensemble has
performed for numerous festivals and
conventions including the Georgia Music
Educators Association Conference, National
Band Association Southern Division
Conference, and the 2010 and 2014 Sandy
Feldstein National Percussion Festival. Led by
Brown, the Dickerson ensemble presented a
clinic/performance, “Developing a Successful
Middle School Percussion Ensemble,” for
the GMEA Conference, PASIC, and the
Midwest Clinic. In 2006, 2009, and 2013 the
ensemble received commendations from the
governor of Georgia. Past guest artists and
clinicians for the ensemble include Ralph
Hardimon, Nick Angelis, Emil Richards,
Lalo Davila, Glen Caruba, Tony McCutchen,
and John Parks, among others. Alumni of
the Dickerson Percussion Ensemble have
continued their percussion studies at Florida
State University, University of Michigan,
University of Georgia, University of North
Texas, and the Eastman School of Music.
Scott Brown, director of the ensemble, will
also present a session with Chester Phillips
titled “Percussion Tips for Conductors:
What Percussionists Wish We All Knew.” His
biography appears below with the Georgia
Midwest clinicians.
• Ten Things About Teaching the Cello
That You Always Wanted to Know but
Were Afraid to Ask
Catherine Hudnall,
founder of the orchestra
program in Pickens
County, S.C., has taught
in Gwinnett County
since 1986. She is a
regular conductor and
clinician for honor
ensembles throughout
Atlanta and has
conducted All-State orchestras in South
Carolina and Mississippi. Her students
performed for the GMEA Conference in
1995 and 2008. In 2006 the Norcross High
School Philharmonic Orchestra won the
National Championship High School String
Orchestra at the ASTA conference in Kansas
City. In 2007 they were invited to perform
at Carnegie Hall. Hudnall co-directed the
Gwinnett County Youth Symphony for six
years and has served as guest conductor
for the Gwinnett Philharmonic and Emory
University Youth Symphony. She performs
with the Candler String Quartet and has
performed with the International Cello
Congress Choir, the Maui Symphony, the
Charleston Symphony, and the Brevard
Music Center Festival Orchestra.
• Hiding the Vegetables:
Unique and Creative
Ways to Teach Young
Band Students the
Fundamentals They
Need on a Daily Basis
Erin Cole has been the
band director at Tapp Middle School in Cobb
County since 1995. Under her leadership,
the Tapp band was also selected to perform
at the 58th Midwest Clinic. The band was
a featured performing group at the UGA
Middle School Band Festival three times
and the Flute and Percussion Ensemble has
performed at the GMEA Conference. Cole
has commissioned pieces by Frank Ticheli,
Samuel Hazo, Eric Whitacre, and Robert W.
Smith. She is a frequent clinician and has
served as guest conductor for numerous
honor bands. She has written chapters for
the popular GIA publication series Teaching
Music Through Performance and has been
published in The Instrumentalist. Cole
is currently a contributing editor for Hal
Leonard’s Essential Elements method book
and interactive website team. She holds a
bachelor’s degree in music education from
the University of Georgia.
Travis W. Downs
graduated from the
University of Georgia
with a B.M. degree in
music education and
earned the M.M. degree in
percussion performance
from Louisiana State
University. Before his current appointment
at North Gwinnett Middle School in
Gwinnett County, he was the director of
bands at Valdosta Middle School and an
assistant band director at Tapp Middle
School. Ensembles under his direction have
been invited to play at state and regional
conferences on several occasions, including
a performance at the 63rd Annual Midwest
Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2009. The
Valdosta Middle School band program
was the recipient of the GMEA Exemplary
Performance Award for the 2012-2013 school
year. Downs is a Yamaha artist/clinician
and has been awarded the National Band
Association’s Citation of Excellence on three
occasions.
Freddy Martin, who
is celebrating his 43rd
year in education, earned
the B.S. degree in music
education at Jacksonville
State University. He
has taught at South
Cobb High School,
with the famed Spirit of Atlanta Drum
Corps, and for the Buford City Schools. He
was the brass coordinator for the Drum
Corps International Champion Phantom
Regiment Drum Corps from Rockford, Ill.
In 2014 Martin will be co-coordinator of
brass fundamentals for the Cavaliers Drum
Corps. He is the founding director of the
Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps
and continues to serve as director emeritus.
Martin is a member of the Drum Corps
International Hall of Fame and Phi Beta Mu.
He is in his 13th year as band director and
brass specialist at the Westminster Schools.
• Percussion Tips for Conductors: What
Percussionists Wish We All Knew
Chester B. Phillips is
associate director of bands
and director of athletic
bands at Georgia State
University. His primary
responsibilities include
conducting the GSU Wind
Orchestra, directing the
University Marching Band, and teaching
conducting. In 2013 Phillips was presented
the Dean’s Early Career Award by the College
of Arts and Sciences for his outstanding
work in teaching, service, and professional
development. Under his leadership the GSU
Marching Band has received an invitation
to the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
Parade, participated in the 57th Presidential
Inaugural Parade, been awarded a top-10
honor by the 2013 College Band Directors
National Association, and received a top-five
honor from the 2012 Southern Division of
CBDNA. Prior to his appointment at GSU,
Phillips taught seven years at Harrison
High School in Kennesaw and two years in
the Gwinnett County public schools at the
middle and high school levels.
Scott Brown is
percussion director at
Walton High School and
assistant band director
at Dickerson Middle
School. Previously, he
spent 14 years with the
1998 and 2002 Bands of
America Grand National Champion Lassiter
High School Band and served for four years
as percussion arranger and consultant for
Beatrix Drum and Bugle Corps from the
Netherlands. Brown is co-author of Field
Level: The Ultimate Band Director’s Guide
to Fielding the Ultimate Marching Percussion
Section and composer of “Kumi-daiko,” both
published by Row-Loff Productions. Scott
has presented clinics for the Midwest Clinic,
PASIC, MEA conventions in Georgia, Texas,
and Ontario, and served as adjudicator
and clinician in the Netherlands, Belgium,
Colombia, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia,
and Germany. The Dickerson Percussion
Ensemble has presented performances and
43
clinics at conferences including GMEA, NBA
Southern Division, Music for All National
Percussion Festival, PASIC, and the Midwest
Clinic.
• The “Non-Negotiables” of Superior
Rehearsals
Alfred Watkins is the
recently retired director
of bands at Lassiter High
School, completing a
37-year career. Ensembles
under his direction have
performed numerous
times at the Midwest
Band Clinic, the BOA National Concert
DISTRICT NEWS
BRIEFS
The Richmond Hill Middle School
Band is proud to announce that they have
commissioned a composition for middle
school band by David Gillingham for spring
2015. The composer will join the band for a
residency in May.
David Gillingham, professor of music
at Michigan State University, has an
international reputation for the works he
has written for band and percussion, many
of which are now considered standards in
the repertoire. His numerous awards include
the 1981 DeMoulin Award for Concerto for
Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble and
the 1990 International Barlow Competition
(Brigham Young University) for Heroes,
Lost and Fallen. Gillingham’s works have
been recorded by Klavier, Sony, Mark,
White Pine, Naxos, Summit, and Centaur
and are regularly performed by nationally
recognized ensembles and soloists. He is a
member of ASCAP and has been receiving
the ASCAP Standard Award for Composers
of Concert Music since 1996. Gillingham
earned the bachelor’s and master’s degrees
in instrumental music education from the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the
Ph.D. in music theory/composition from
Michigan State University.
The Savannah Children’s Choir, a
community children’s choir with students
from over 29 schools throughout the
low country, is excited to announce the
addition of assistant director Michael
Ray, chorus teacher at Savannah Country
44
Band Festival, and the GMEA In-Service
Conference. The ensembles have also
appeared at PASIC and won two WGI
World Championships, two BOA Grand
National Marching Champions, and nine
BOA Regionals. Under his leadership bands
have earned the Sudler Flag of Honor, Sudler
Shield, and Sudler Silver Scroll. Watkins
was selected as a member of the Florida A
& M Gallery of Distinguished Alumni, the
BOA Hall of Fame, the ABA, the Georgia
Bandmasters Hall of Fame, Phi Beta Mu
Educator of the Year, and recently received
the GMEA Distinguished Career Award.
He has received 15 certificates of excellence
from the NBA and the Sudler Order of
Merit.
Day, and accompanist Timothy Hall, Christ
Church Savannah organist/choirmaster, to
meet the needs of the growing organization,
which now consists of three choirs and 100
students.
Southwest Elementary School,
announces partnership with Savannah
Music Festival’s Musical Explorers, a new
arts education program for grades K-2 in
partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music
Institute. Musical Explorers builds basic
music skills in the classroom as children learn
songs from different cultures, reflect on their
own communities, and develop listening and
singing skills. During the 2014-2015 season,
students in grades K-2 explore various music
styles including blues, classical, AfricanAmerican spirituals, jazz, Slave Shouts, and
bluegrass, embarking on a musical journey
through the cultures found in and around
Savannah. Students meet and interact with
the professional musicians featured in the
program during culminating concerts each
semester. Musical Explorers is open to any
K-2 teacher. Program features include:
• Two interactive concerts (fall and spring)
per year in downtown Savannah featuring multicultural vocalists. Fall concerts:
December 8-12 (Lucas Theatre).
Spring concerts: May 11-15 (Armstrong
State University Fine Arts Auditorium).
• Two professional development workshops
for participating teachers (fall and spring).
• A 100+ page printed Teacher Guide,
geared toward both music and general
classroom teacher, with accompanying CD.
• Online, printable student activities.
THE CHANGING
GEORGIA SCENE
Elementary Schools
In the Cherokee County School District,
Ann Burgess has been appointed chorus
director at Creekland Middle School. Most
recently Burgess was a Cobb County School
District substitute teacher and has also
served as chorus director for Etowah High
School. In the Cobb County School System,
the following elementary music specialists
are new: Michele Champion, Acworth
Intermediate; Megan Burton, Austell
Elementary; Blake Wuestefeld, HarmonyLeland Elementary; Holly Maldonado,
Mableton Elementary; Amanda Esposito,
Riverside Primary; and Bess Yunek, Tritt
Elementary School.
South Dodge Elementary School welcomes
Selena Woodard, music specialist. Woodard
brings more than 20 years teaching
experience in the Dodge County system
to the new assignment. Gwinnett County
announces the appointment of six new
elementary general music teachers. They
are as follows: Collett Harris, Centerville
Elementary; Cheryenne Hinton, Brookwood
Elementary; Lydia Lee, Magill Elementary;
Christy Lueke, Patrick Elementary;
Courtney Spencer, Nesbit Elementary;
and Rachel Strain, Ivy Creek Elementary.
Aimée O’Rork, former choir director for the
Spalding County schools, has been assigned
music teacher and choir director at the Unity
Gove and Locust Grove Elementary Schools
in the Henry County system. Also in Henry
County, Annelise Millwood is teaching
at Walnut Creek and Red Oak Elementary
Schools and Jacqueline Iden is the new
specialist at Hickory Flat Charter Elementary.
Orion Palmer is new to Dearing
Elementary School in McDuffie County,
and in Monroe County Stephen Braswell
is associate band director for elementary
schools and assists with the marching band
at Mary Persons High. George “Alex”
McCurdy, a first-year teacher, has been
named music specialist at Unity Elementary
School in Meriweather County. Rockdale
County welcomes five new music specialists:
Thomas Russell, C. J. Hicks Elementary;
Claudia Bradford, Honey Creek Elementary;
Kristin Trammel, Pine Street Elementary,
Kylee Ervin, Shoal Creek Elementary; and
Gincy Moon, Barksdale Elementary. Moon
formerly taught at Pine Street Elementary,
also in Rockdale County.
Catherine Pickren is the new music
instructor at Blackshear Elementary School,
located in Pierce County. This is a new music
position at Blackshear Elementary. Pickren
brings 21 years of teaching experience in
Georgia and Florida to the assignment. In the
Thomaston-Upson County system, Nicole
Katterjohn is the new music specialist for
grades four and five at Upson Lee North
Elementary, and Laura Kilby is the new
specialist for kindergarten through grade
three at Upson-Lee South Elementary.
Katterjohn is a recent graduate of Georgia
Regents University, formerly Augusta
State, and Kilby comes to the system from
Pike County Elementary School. Houston
County announces the appointment of
music specialist Shaun Parsons to Hilltop
Elementary. Sheila Clopton, also of Houston,
has transferred from Perry Primary School to
Langston Road Elementary.
Middle Schools
Bibb County announces the appointments
of Brittany Loftin and Lauren Harbor.
Loftin is director of bands at Miller Middle
School and Harbor is the new chorus teacher
at Howard Middle School. Justin Stowe
is the new music teacher/band director at
Calhoun County Middle/High School. In
Gwinnett County, Sarah Pando, Shiloh
Middle School, Matt Thomas, North
Gwinnett Middle School, and Katherine
Garrett, Duluth Middle School, are new
to the orchestra faculty, and Zac Cogdill
has been appointed director of bands at
Five Forks Middle School. Cogdill comes to
Gwinnett from Cobb County. Six new choral
directors have also joined the Gwinnett
system: John Wright, Creekland Middle;
Jonathan Fallis, Duluth Middle; Brett
Bellamy, Jones Middle; Sabrina Robertson,
Crews Middle; Shannon Green, Radloff
Middle; and Mikai Tecie, Grace Snell
Middle. Robertson comes to Gwinnett from
the Marietta City School System.
New middle school personnel in Cobb
County include: Kimberly Piper, previously
of Onslow County, N.C., schools, director of
orchestras at Campbell Middle School; Jana
Cummiskey, former director of orchestras
at Osborne High School in Cobb, director of
orchestras at Daniell Middle; Austin Baxley,
assistant director of bands at Daniell Middle;
Jacob Bitinas, new assistant director of
orchestras at Dickerson Middle; Amanda
Jones, assistant choral director at Dickerson
Middle; Ryan Maddox, new choral director
at Dickerson Middle; Corie Benton,
previously in the Clayton system, assistant
director of orchestras at Dodgen Middle;
Matt Segars, assistant director of band at
Durham Middle; Sarah Rutledge, choral
director and instructor of guitar at Durham
Middle; Nivek Anderson, previously of
Fulton County schools, director of orchestras
at East Cobb Middle; Lawton Willingham,
director of orchestras at Floyd Middle;
Darlisia Lyles, formerly of the Huntsville,
Ala., system, director of orchestras at Garret
Middle; Michael Tompkins, previously at
Campbell Middle in Cobb County, director
of orchestras at Hightower Middle; Paul
O’Keefe, formerly at Daniell Middle in Cobb
County, assistant director of orchestras at
High Tower; Amy Newcomb, choral director
at Hightower Middle; Cedrick Hayward,
choral director at Lindley Middle School;
Shelley Ferrell, assistant director of bands
at Lovinggood Middle; Amy Armbruster,
former assistant director of bands at Pine
Mountain Middle in Cobb County, director
of bands at Pine Mountain; Andrew Paller,
assistant director of bands at Pine Mountain;
Valerie Page, former music specialist at
Simpson Middle School, director of bands
at Simpson; and James Smart, previously
at Lindley Sixth-Grade Academy in Cobb,
assistant director of bands and orchestras at
Simpson Middle School.
In the Henry County system, Josh
Brandon is band director at Union Grove
Middle School. Brandon’s former experience
includes Tattnall Square Academy and the
University of Georgia, where he served as
a graduate assistant. Also new to Henry
County: Kelley Gaither, formerly at Mundy’s
Mill Middle School, band director at Austin
Road Middle School; Isaac Guffey, orchestra
director at Eagle’s Landing Middle School;
Marcus P. Budner, director of bands at
Hampton Middle School; and Jeffrey
McBurnett, chorus director at Hampton
Middle School. Budner comes to Henry
County from Rockmart Middle School
in Polk County and McBurnett formerly
taught at Oak Hill Middle School in Baldwin
County. Melissa Pettinger has joined the
Monroe County School System as associate
band director for middle schools, and also
assists with the marching band at Mary
Persons High School. Pettinger comes to the
Monroe system from Bibb County. Susan
Juker is the new band director at ThomsonMcDuffie Middle School. Juker comes to the
McDuffie system from Burke County Middle
School.
Muscogee County welcomes Anthony
Claiborne as band director at Baker Middle
and Eddy Middle Schools, and Kathryn
Foor is now director of bands at Arnold
Middle School. Foor was formerly magnet
coordinator at Richards Middle School. Jon
Reid, a first-year teacher, is director of choral
music at both Midland and Veterans Middle
Schools, and Laszlo Stan has joined Richards
Middle and Baker Middle Schools as
orchestra director. Stan comes to Muscogee
from the Albany School System.
Richard Johnson has moved to Tattnall
County to direct the bands at Glennville
Middle School and Chantell Scriven is
new to Callaway Middle School in Troup
County. Anna Mertz has joined the Walker
County choral faculty, where she is teaching
general/choral music at Saddle Ridge K-8,
and directing the choirs at LaFayette Middle
and High Schools. Sam Wolaver is director
of bands at Valdosta Middle School in the
Valdosta City School System, and Darenda
Milam is teaching general music and band
at Westside Middle School in the Whitfield
County system.
High Schools
Atkinson County High School welcomes
Bill Steltenpohl, director of bands, and
Ben Hill County welcomes choral director
Jonie Davis to Fitzgerald High School. Davis
comes to the new position from Tift High
School, where she also served as choral
director. Thomas Trinh has accepted the
position of orchestra director at Vineville
Academy in Bibb County. Charlton County
School System announces the appointment
of Dylan Sloan as assistant director of bands
at Chariton County High School. Sloan is a
recent graduate of Valdosta State University.
In Cherokee County, Christin Lawhorne,
a recent graduate of Reinhardt University,
is the new orchestra director at Woodstock
High School.
Cobb County announces the following
new appointments: Jeremy DeWinter,
previously at Odessa Permian High School
in Texas, director of bands at Campbell High
School; John Bratton, assistant director
of bands at Campbell High School; Mark
Pulley, previously at Woodstock High
School in Cherokee County, director of
orchestras at Campbell High; Jack Walker,
choral director at Harrison High; Kelly
Thomas, previously director of chorus at
Kell High in Cobb, director of orchestras at
Kell; Katie Miranda, choral director at Kell
High; Jeff Harper, previously at McEachern
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High in Cobb, associate director of bands
at Lassiter High; Bo Sodders, previously at
Woodland High in Henry County, director
of bands at McEachern High; Holly Botella,
choral director at North Cobb High; Jolien
Roodenburg, previously at Floyd Middle
School in Cobb, director of orchestras at
Osborne High; Changa Miller, choral
director at Osborne High; and James
Wilson, assistant director of bands at South
Cobb High.
Chris Ryals, former assistant band
director for the Houston County School
System, is the new director of bands at
Dodge County High School. New personnel
in the Henry County system includes:
Mindy L. Martin, formerly director of
choral activities at Ruston, La. High School,
new choral director at Ola High School;
Christopher Dowell, formerly band
director at Charles Drew High School in
Clayton County, new director of bands at
Stockbridge High; Justin Xavier Carteret,
former choral director at New Hanover High
School and voice and choral instructor at
Southeastern Community College, N.C.,
choral director and department chair of
fine and performing arts at Hampton High
School; Reed M. Lukat, former director of
bands at Spalding High School, new band
and chorus director at Henry County High
School; and Russell Thompson, former
assistant director of bands and instructor of
music at Campbellsville University, Ky., band
director at Woodland High School.
Sean Workman has joined the Houston
County System as assistant director of
bands at Warner Robins High School, and
William “Trent” Henderson has moved
from Thomson-McDuffie Middle School
to Manchester Middle and High Schools
in Houston County, where he is director of
bands. West Laurens High School welcomes
Robert Smith, assistant band director, to
the Laurens County schools faculty. Eric
Thompson is beginning his second year
as band director at Mary Persons High
School in the Monroe County system.
Thompson formerly taught in the Treutlen
County schools. In the Muscogee system,
Steven “Drew” Mabry, a first-year teacher,
has joined the faculty of Hardaway High
School as band director. Lee Jones is new to
Oglethorpe County High School as director
of bands, and Jeffrey Hunter and Vincent
Sneed are new band directors in Rockdale
County. Hunter is teaching at Salem High
School and Sneed is at Heritage High
School.
The Social Circle City School System
welcomes Kyle Bickwit, director of middle
school and high school bands. Bickwit is a
recent music education graduate from the
University of Georgia. Paul Johns has been
appointed assistant band director at Thomas
County Central High School, replacing Tyler
Lipsey. Michial Mayhall remains as band
director. Clint Baughman is now teaching
chorus at White County High School, and
in Whitfield County Ben Milam has moved
from Westside Middle School to Northwest
High School to direct the band program.
The following systems report no
new music teachers: Bleckley County,
Chickamauga City, Dade County, Dougherty
County, McIntosh County, Miller County,
Pelham County, Pickens County, Pulaski
County, Seminole County, Wilkes County.
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New Faculty Announced
Agnes Scott College
Berry College
Jens Korndörfer, artist affiliate in organ
and harpsichord, has given more than 200
concerts at major venues around the world,
including Westminster Abbey in London,
Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Sulpice in
Paris, Chapel Royal in Versailles, Moscow
Cathedral, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
in Berlin, and the Münster in Ulm, among
others. He is a graduate of the Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, the
Oberlin Conservatory, the Musikhochschule
in Bayreuth, and McGill University in
Montreal. Korndörfer is a triple prizewinner of the Canadian International Organ
Competition, held in Montréal in 2008 and
2011. His talent has also been recognized
with numerous scholarship awards from
organizations such as the German Academic
Exchange Service, the BACH-woche
Ansbach, the Festival du Comminges, the
Oberlin Conservatory, McGill-University, and
the Government of Quebec. He has published
numerous articles in American, Belgian,
British, French, German, Russian, and Swiss
music journals.
Jeana Melilli, artist affiliate in flute,
currently plays principal flute for the
Savannah Philharmonic, piccolo and third
flute for the South Carolina Philharmonic,
Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and
Greenville Symphony Orchestra, as well as
second flute and piccolo for the Augusta
Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber
musician, she is a founding member of the
Five Points Quintet and the Hamsa Trio. She
has appeared on the recording Sounds of
HIV with the Sequence Ensemble, and Music
From Paris with the Atlanta Chamber Winds.
This is her third year as flute teacher at the
Woodward Academy, and she has taught in
the Atlanta area since 2003. Previous flute
students have won positions in the GMEA
District Honor Band and All-State Band.
She holds a baccalaureate degree in flute
performance from the Catholic University
of America and a master’s degree from
Northwestern University.
Nathan Lambert is director of orchestral
activities and assistant professor of violin and
viola at Berry, and the associate conductor of
the Rome Symphony Orchestra. Previously,
he has served as assistant conductor and
concertmaster for the San Juan Symphony in
Durango, Colo. and violinist for the Red Shoe
Trio. Other previous posts include assistant
conductor for the University of Southern
Mississippi, Northern Arizona University,
and University of Memphis Symphony
Orchestras and music director for the
Durango Youth Symphony and the Northern
Arizona University Academy Orchestra.
Lambert has taught at Conservatory Music in
the Mountains and the Interlochen Summer
Arts Camp and has performed with such
renowned artists as Itzhak Perlman, Renee
Fleming, Brenda Lee, and Vasti Jackson. He
is also an accomplished jazz and commercial
violinist, and has spent countless hours in
Nashville recording studios as a violin-fiddle
player, arranger, and producer.
Clayton State University
Michael Fuchs is director of choral
activities at Clayton State University, where
he also teaches conducting, choral methods,
and music history. Fuchs is a recent graduate
of the University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music doctoral program
in choral conducting. While in Cincinnati,
he was the director of the University of
Cincinnati Women’s Chorus, co-director
of the CCM Collegium Vocale, and artistic
director for Musica, the premier chamber
choir of Dayton, Ohio. Previous positions
include founder and artistic director of the
Westminster Bach Consort and graduate
assistant conductor for the Westminster
Choir. He has prepared choruses for
performances with Joe Miller, Annunziata
Tomaro, Mark Gibson, and Joseph
Flummerfelt. His research interests include
incorporating Bel Canto vocal pedagogy into
the choral rehearsal, as well as early music
Jens Korndörfer
Jeana Melilli
Nathan Lambert
Michael Fuchs
49
performance practice. Fuchs has held public
school teaching positions in Fairfax County,
Va. and church music positions in Ohio,
North Dakota, Virginia, and New Jersey. He
holds additional degrees from Westminster
Choir College in Princeton, N.J. and
Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.
Columbus State University
Keith Matthews
Bradley Olesen
Jacqueline Pickett
Steven A. Harper
David W. Langley
50
Keith Matthews joins the Schwob School
of Music at Columbus State University
as assistant professor of music education.
Matthews comes to Columbus from Florida
State University, where he recently completed
the Ph.D. in music education with a minor in
instrumental conducting. Formerly a band
director in Forsyth and Gwinnett Counties,
he possesses a wealth of music teaching
and performance experience. In addition to
coordinating the music education program,
Matthews will assist in the band program and
in the development of a summer band camp
at CSU. Bradley Olesen is visiting assistant
professor of choral music education at
Columbus State University’s Schwob School
of Music. Prior to accepting this position,
he was assistant professor of choral music
education at West Chester University,
visiting assistant professor at Louisiana
State University, as well as a high school
choral director and fine arts administrator in
Texas and Ohio. He received the bachelor’s
and master’s degrees in piano and choral
conducting from Texas Tech University,
and earned a Ph.D. in music education
with a choral conducting cognate at the
University of Miami. He has served as soloist,
adjudicator, honor choir clinician, and guest
conductor throughout North America and
Europe.
Jacqueline Pickett, double bassist,
brings to Columbus State a 20-year career
teaching graduate, undergraduate, and high
school students in music performance. She
has developed teaching methods based on
her performance experiences as a classical
and jazz musician and her research on bass
pedagogy, physiology, history, instrument
construction, and educational techniques.
Pickett is an internationally recognized
performer with a professional career
spanning several decades as chamber
musician, orchestra member, principal
bassist, and founder and member of
various chamber ensembles throughout the
United States. She has given many public
performances in residence, on tour, and on
recordings. She is currently principal bassist
for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Georgia Southern University
Steven A. Harper has been appointed
chair of the department of music at Georgia
Southern University. Harper previously
was on faculty at the University of Texas at
Austin, Angelo State University, and Georgia
State University, where he also served as
director of graduate studies and as interim
director of the School of Music. He holds a
B.M. degree from the University of Louisville,
a M.M. from Northwestern University, and a
Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Harper’s research interests are in music
theory and analysis. He has published essays
on the music of Anton Webern, Jean Sibelius,
and Åke Hermanson. His work can be found
in Indiana Theory Review, College Music
Symposium, Sibelius Forum, and STM-Online,
the online journal of the Swedish Society for
Musicology.
Tim Kintzinger is the assistant director
of bands and associate director of athletic
bands at Georgia Southern University, where
he assists with all aspects of the athletic band
program and teaches courses in jazz and
theory. For the past two years, he has served
as the director of bands at Portal Middle
School and High School. Prior to moving
to Statesboro, he served as the director of
bands and jazz studies at Presbyterian College
in Clinton, S.C., where he administered all
aspects of the instrumental music program
and taught applied trumpet. Before his
appointment at Presbyterian College, he held
positions at Claflin University in Orangeburg,
S.C., Limestone University in Gaffney,
S.C., and Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga.
Kintzinger received a D.M.A. degree in
trumpet performance with a cognate in jazz
studies from the University of MissouriKansas City Conservatory of Music, where
he studied trumpet with Keith Benjamin and
served as a teaching assistant in jazz studies.
He received a M.M. in trumpet performance
from Binghamton University in Binghamton,
N.Y. and a B.S. in mechanical engineering,
also from Binghamton University.
Kintzinger has done post-doctoral study at
the University of South Carolina in wind
literature and conducting.
David W. Langley is assistant professor
of music at Georgia Southern University. His
duties include supervising student teachers
and teaching courses in music education, as
well as directing the University Singers. Prior
to his appointment at Georgia Southern,
Langley was the director of choral activities
at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee,
Ga. During his 11 years of teaching high
school, he guided a choral program of over
300 students, with individual students
consistently being selected for the Georgia
All-State Chorus and the Governors Honors
Program in both voice and piano. He also
previously taught at Georgia Perimeter
College and Crabapple Crossing Elementary
School in Milton, Ga. Langley holds both
a bachelors and master’s degree from the
University of Georgia. He recently completed
the Ph.D. in teaching and learning, music
education, from Georgia State University,
studying under Patrick K. Freer. Langley has
been published in such journals as American
Music Teacher and was recently selected
to serve on the advisory committee for
the Music Educators Journal. His research
interests include incorporating creativity
within the choral classroom as well as the
effectiveness of music teacher mentoring
programs.
Georgia State University
Raffi Besalyan, assistant professor of
piano, has toured North and South America,
Europe, Russia, and Asia as a recitalist
and orchestral soloist. Critics have praised
his performances for their virility, poetry,
and extraordinary technical command. In
2012 Besalyan established himself as an
award-winning recording artist, receiving
international accolades for his album “Dance,
Drama, Decadence” (IMC Music, Japan). He
also recorded for Koch International Classics,
and recently signed with GRAMMY® awardwinning record label Sono Luminus. His first
recording for the label will be released in early
2015. A former piano faculty member at the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and
Rowan University in New Jersey, he has also
served on the faculties of Festival Musica in
Laguna in Venice, Italy and the International
Summer Music Festival at Rowan. A native
Armenian, Besalyan holds a doctorate from
the Yerevan State Conservatory in Armenia,
as well as degrees from Rowan University and
the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Robert Dickson, visiting instructor in jazz
studies, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in
classical double bass performance from the
University of Alabama and a Master of Music
degree in jazz studies from the University
of New Orleans. He has worked with many
jazz greats including Victor Atkins, Scotty
Barnhart, Terri Lynne Carrington, Evan
Christopher, Jerry Coker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill
Goodwin, Danny Gottlieb, Matt Lemmler,
Mundell Lowe, Lou Marini, Jason Marsalis,
and Steve Masakowski, among others.
Before coming to Georgia State, Dickson was
adjunct instructor of bass at the New Orleans
Baptist Theological Seminary from 20042005. Since 2006, he has been an instructor
with the Rialto Jazz for Kids program in
Atlanta, and has directed jazz combos
with the Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra since
2011. Dickson is in his ninth year in Atlanta
teaching jazz bass, jazz history, and jazz
combos.
Steve Jones, instructor of music
management, teaches music business courses
focusing on marketing, promotion, sales,
and distribution, and directs independent
studies. Jones is a music lifer. Two years of
radio preceded a 26-year run with Atlantic
Records, where he worked with The Rolling
Stones, AC/DC, Chic, U2, INXS, Bette
Midler, Genesis, Foreigner, The Spinners, Yes,
Laura Branigan, Debbie Gibson, and more.
He then moved to the marketing/sales side
of Atlantic and aided in the development of
the careers of Hootie & The Blowfish, Edwin
McCain, Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul
and Tori Amos, among others. In 2004,
WMG downsized, and he saw this as an
opportunity to join Brash Music. As CEO
of Brash, Jones has nurtured the careers of
Anthony David, Aaron Shust, and Gungor.
He recently served a four-year term on the
board of governors for the Atlanta Chapter of
the Recording Academy.
Scott Keniley, part-time instructor of
music management, is senior partner at
Keniley-Kumar Law Firm. During his 22-year
legal career, he has served as a judge and
general counsel to a publicly traded record
company; taught music business, copyright
and entertainment law, and entrepreneurship
at SAE Institute; and led courses on artist
representation and legal aspects of the
music industry at Georgia State University.
He is a frequent lecturer at law school,
conferences, and has delivered keynote
addresses at college graduations. Professional
associations include, but are not limited
to, the North American Entertainment,
Sports, and IP Law Summit as educational
chairman, the Recording Academy Board
of Governors, Entertainment & Sports Law
Section, and Intellectual Property sections
of the Georgia Bar. In his private practice
Scott has been engaged in transactional,
corporate, and litigation matters for clients,
including platinum and Grammy-winning
artists and producers, visual artists, authors,
film companies, and music and new media
companies.
Hollie Lifshey, part-time instructor of
trumpet, is second trumpet with the Atlanta
Opera Orchestra and principal trumpet
with the South Carolina Philharmonic
and Macon Symphony. She was formerly
Raffi Besalyan
Robert Dickson
Steve Jones
Scott Keniley
Hollie Lifshey
51
L. Michelle Mercier DeShon
Ariel Merivil
Charles Settle
Daniel Welborn
Debra Traficante
James Barket
52
principal trumpet of the Savannah
Philharmonic and has also performed
with the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Ballet
Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony, and
other orchestras in the Southeast. Prior to
starting her professional career in the United
States, Lifshey spent two summers playing
in Europe with the Opera Theater of Lucca
Festival Orchestra in Lucca, Italy, and was
a guest performer with the Gulbenkian
Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal. She has
performed with notable artists such as Sarah
McLachlan, Kristin Chenoweth and the
Dallas Brass. She holds a master’s degree in
trumpet performance from the University of
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
L. Michelle Mercier DeShon is a visiting
lecturer of general music education at the
Georgia State University School of Music. A
doctoral graduate of Georgia State University,
she is an expert in the field of psychological
development and well known for her
groundbreaking dissertation entitled Music
is Waiting For You: The Lived Experience of
Children’s Musical Identity.
Ariel Merivil joins the Georgia State
University School of Music as conductor
of the Choral Union. Merivil is currently
the director of music, worship, and
administration at the Atlanta First United
Methodist Church, where he has served
for ten years. A graduate of the Georgia
State University School of Music, Ariel
earned a dual concentration Master of
Music degree in choral conducting and
organ performance. Merivil is also the
accompanist for the 100-voice Greater
Atlanta Adventist Academy Concert Choir
and has most recently collaborated with
the Georgia Boy Choir and the Wendell P.
Whalum Community Chorus, as well as with
other solo artists throughout the Southeast.
Active in the Atlanta music community,
Merivil currently serves as the repertoire and
standards chair for music and worship for
the Georgia chapter of the American Choral
Directors Association and is on the executive
committee of the Atlanta Chapter of the
American Guild of Organists.
Charles Settle, part-time instructor
of percussion at Georgia State University,
joined the percussion section of the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra in 2004 and holds the
endowed William A. Schwartz Chair. During
the 2008-2009 season, Settle took a one-year
leave of absence from the Atlanta Symphony
and joined the New York Philharmonic
as a percussionist and assistant timpanist,
where he toured, participated in recording
projects, and performed a complete Mahler
cycle with the Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra
during their residency at Carnegie Hall. He
also performs as a member of the Sun Valley
Summer Symphony Orchestra in Sun Valley,
Idaho, and has performed with the Detroit
Symphony. Prior to accepting the position in
Atlanta, he was a member of the New World
Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, and
performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Settle graduated from Interlochen Arts
Academy and received a Bachelor of Music
degree from the Curtis Institute of Music,
where he studied with Michael Bookspan and
Don Liuzzi.
Daniel Welborn is assistant professor in
instrumental music education at Georgia
State University. He holds a Ph.D. in music
education from the University of Southern
Mississippi, a Master of Education in
educational leadership and administration
from Georgia State University and a Bachelor
of Music Education from the University
of Southern Mississippi. Welborn has
been involved with music education at the
collegiate, secondary and elementary levels
for over 20 years. Thirteen of these years
involved teaching and helping develop the
band program at Mabry Middle School
in Marietta, Ga., a feeder program for the
Lassiter High School Band program. Prior to
his initial appointment as a visiting lecturer
at Georgia State University in 2011, he
spent two years as a doctoral conducting
assistant with the University of Southern
Mississippi Wind Ensemble, where he
studied with Thomas Fraschillo. Welborn’s
research interests include instrumental
music pedagogy, music psychology, and adult
musicians as lifelong learners.
Kennesaw
State University
Debra Traficante has joined the faculty
of Kennesaw State University as associate
director of bands and director of athletic
bands. She holds a B.M. degree in music
education, cum laude, from the University
of Florida, a M.M. in wind band conducting
from the University of Florida, and a D.M.A.
in wind band conducting from the University
of Oklahoma on an earned Fellowship.
Traficante began her service as assistant
director of university bands at the University
of Oklahoma in 2009 and served as interim
director of The Pride of Oklahoma Marching
Band in the spring of 2013. In Florida, she
was director of bands for five years at New
Smyrna Beach High School, and assistant
director of bands for two years at Buchholz
High School.
James Barket, newly appointed artist-inresidence in double bass, earned a D.M.A.
from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, a M.M. from Yale University,
a B.M. from the University of Hartford,
a Fulbright Fellowship to Vienna Austria
(1992-93), and K-12 music certification from
Georgia State University. He is orchestra
director at Webb Bridge Middle School
in Alpharetta, Ga. Under his leadership,
WBMS was invited to perform for the
GMEA In-Service Conference in 2008, the
ASTA National Orchestra Competition in
2006, and most recently in 2011, the WBMS
Advanced Violin Ensemble was requested
by Governor Nathan Deal to perform at the
Governor’s Mansion for Valedictorian Day.
Barket has worked with the South Georgia
String Project in Valdosta, taught class strings
at Parker Mathis Elementary and Lowndes
Middle Schools, and has been active with the
Valdosta Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Julie Coucheron, artist-in-residence in
piano, was born in Oslo, Norway, where she
began to study piano at the age of four. She
earned the bachelor’s and master’s degrees
with honors from the Royal Academy of
Music in London, while also gaining her
LRAM teaching diploma. Coucheron has
established an international career, winning
prizes in Italy, Germany, and in the United
States. She has worked with Lazar Berman,
Claude Frank, Emanuel Ax, Vladimir
Feltsman, John O’Connor, and Chistopher
O’Riley, playing in respected venues such as
Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy
Center, and Carnegie Hall. Together with
concertmaster of the ASO, David Coucheron,
and principal cellist Chris Rex, Coucheron
performs regularly around the world.
Jessica Jones, artist-in-residence in voice,
earned the B.M. and M.M. degrees from
the Curtis Institute of Music. Her operatic
training was with the Houston Grand
Opera Studio. Under the baton of Lorin
Maazel, Jones appeared with the New York
Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony.
She has worked with such notable conductors
as Christoph Eschenbach, Gerard Schwarz,
Yan-Pascal Tortelier, Emmanuel Krivine, and
Nicholas McGegan. She has appeared with
the San Francisco Symphony, the Baltimore
Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego
Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the
Detroit Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, and
the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Kayleen Justus, ethnomusicologist,
earned her doctorate in musicology from
Florida State University after completing
two years of interdisciplinary field research
with the Alzheimer’s Project, Inc. of
Tallahassee, where she served as a volunteer
respite care provider and musician for the
non-profit organization. At Florida State
University, Justus was a lecturer for various
undergraduate music courses, including
Modern Popular Music and American Roots
Music, and was the director of the FSU steel
band, Mas N’ Steel, from 2007 until 2011. She
maintains an active performance schedule,
both as a world music percussionist and as
the director of two community steel drum
ensembles in Tallahassee.
Michael Tiscione, artist-in-residence in
trumpet, holds a B.M. degree from Indiana
University and earned the M.M. degree
from Northwestern University. A native of
Monroe, NY, Tiscione joined the trumpet
section of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
during the 2002-2003 season, left the ASO to
join the San Francisco Symphony as second
trumpet for the 2010-2011 season, and has
since returned to the ASO to perform as
second trumpet and acting associate principal
trumpet. He previously served as an adjunct
faculty member at the University of Georgia
and Georgia State University. LaGrange College
Beth Everett is associate professor of
music and director of choral ensembles at
LaGrange College where she conducts the
LaGrange Chamber Singers and teaches
courses in conducting and vocal music.
She holds a D.M.A. from the University of
Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in
choral conducting from Southern Methodist
University, and a Bachelor of Church Music
from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Choirs
under her direction have performed across
the United States as well as internationally.
The Bethel University Singers participated in
the American International Choral Festival
in St. Louis and received a Gold Diploma
in adjudication. Everett remains active
as a singer. She is a member of Voices, a
professional choir based out of the Eastman
School of Music, and has performed the
mezzo soprano solos for such major choral
works as Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria,
Mozart’s Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Mercer University
Kathryn White, assistant professor
of music history, joined the faculty at the
Townsend School of Music in Fall 2013.
She has taught at the University of North
Carolina at Pembroke and the Jacobs School
of Music at Indiana University, where she
completed the Ph.D. degree in musicology.
Julie Coucheron
Jessica Jones
Kayleen Justus
Michael Tiscione
Beth Everett
Kathryn White
53
She earned the M.A. from Indiana University
and the B.M.A. from the University of
Michigan. In her first year at Mercer
University, she received the Townsend School
of Music Outstanding Teacher Award. She
has presented at the annual meetings of the
Society for American Music and the College
Music Society. An active violist, White
directed the middle school strings program
at the O’Neal School in Southern Pines, N.C.,
and maintained a private studio where she
taught violin, viola, cello, and piano. She has
performed with the Green Bay Symphony,
Fox Valley Symphony, Fayetteville Symphony
Orchestra, and Long Bay Symphony. She has
developed online courses in music theory and
music appreciation for the North Carolina
Virtual Public Schools. Currently, she is the
program notes annotator for the International
Chamber Artists in Chicago.
Emily Andrews, instructor of church
music, is a Ph.D. candidate in Christian
Worship at Fuller Theological Seminary. She
earned the M.M. from Baylor University,
M.Div. from Truett Theological Seminary,
and B.M. from Samford University. Prior to
joining Mercer, she taught courses in music
and worship at Azusa Pacific University. An ordained minister, Andrews is deeply
committed to the corporate worship life of
the church and has maintained an active
role in various music ministries, serving
congregations in Alabama, Texas, and
California. Her research interests include
studies of Baptist and evangelical worship,
sacramental theology, and the interlacing
of music and theology. Having published
resources and articles on music and worship,
Andrews maintains involvement in the North
American Academy of Liturgy. Piedmont College
Emily Andrews
Jonathan Pilkington
Cynthia Johnston Turner
Edward Asmus
Emily Frey
Robert Akridge
Brett Bawcum
54
Jonathan Pilkington has joined the
Piedmont faculty as assistant professor
of music, where he teaches voice, opera
workshop, and introduction to music. He
holds a bachelor’s degree from Shorter
College, a master’s degree form Westminster
Choir College, and a doctorate from
University of Georgia. Pilkington has been a
featured soloist for oratorio performances,
and has presented recitals and performed as a
professional chorister throughout the United
States and Europe. University of Georgia
Cynthia Johnston Turner, newly
appointed director of bands, is past director
of Cornell University’s wind ensemble and
serves as faculty with the Performing Arts
Institute at the Pennsylvania Wyoming
Seminary, Syracuse Society of New Music,
Austrian Festival Orchestra, and Salzburg’s
Paris Lodron Ensemble. Recent engagements
include the National Youth Wind Ensemble of
Great Britain, Syracuse Symphony, National
Youth Band of Canada, and the Latin
American Honor Band. She has contributed
to numerous music education and wind band
publications, and has recorded CDs with the
Innova and Albany labels.
Edward Asmus, professor of music
education, is former associate dean of
graduate studies and professor of music
education at the University of Miami Frost
School of Music. Asmus has served on the
editorial
boards of
the Journal
of Research
The Columbus
Symphony
Youth
Orchestra
in Music Education, The Quarterly Journal
of Music Teaching and Learning, Bulletin of
the Council for Research in Music Education,
and multiple other publications. He is a past
advisor to Psychomusicology and Psychology
of Music and a past editor of the Journal of
Music Teacher Education. He is also creator
of The Music Education Search System, the
Music Researcher’s E-Mail Directory, the
Music Research Web Site, and the Music
Assessment Web Site.
Emily Frey, assistant professor, holds
a Ph.D. from the University of California,
Berkeley, where her last year of study was
supported by an Alvin H. Johnson-AMS
50 Dissertation Fellowship. Her research
focuses on opera and literature in nineteenthcentury Russia, and her article “Nowhere
Man: Evgeny Onegin and the Politics of
Reflection in Nineteenth-Century Russia”
appeared in Berkeley’s 19th-Century Music.
She is currently writing a book, entitled
Russian Opera in the Age of Psychological
Prose, on the relationship between opera and
psychological literature between 1866 and
1881.
Robert Akridge has joined the Hodgson
faculty as assistant director of bands and
aband festivals. A retired music educator
with 27 years of experience throughout the
state of Georgia, his most recent position
was at North Oconee High School. During
his tenure at North Oconee, both concert
and marching bands consistently received
superior ratings. The marching band
received numerous class, division, and grand
champion awards. A former Redcoat Band
member, he received his bachelors and
master’s degrees in music education from the
University of Georgia. He was a Star Teacher
state finalist in 1998. Akridge is an active drill
writer, consultant, and adjudicator.
Brett Bawcum is assistant director
of bands, associate director of athletic
bands, and director of band festivals at
the University of Georgia. He shares
responsibility for design, instruction, and
administration of the Redcoat Marching
Band and serves as its primary drill-writer.
He also consults and advises on other athletic
band matters, having served as basketball
band director for ten years. He has served
as conductor of the UGA Concert Band and
Symphonic Band and guest conductor of the
UGA Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble.
He administers the UGA Middle School
Band Festival and January High School
Band Festival. He created the UGA Summer
Marching Band Camp and continues to
serve as its associate director. Bawcum also
co-created the modern UGA Summer Music
Camp and shared direction of the camp from
2002 to 2011.
University of North Georgia
Gabe Fankhauser was recently appointed
assistant professor of music theory at the
University of North Georgia. He joins UNG
from Appalachian State University in Boone,
NC, where he coordinated and taught music
theory for 14 years. His publications and
conference presentations have included
research in hypermeter and phrase rhythm,
extended tonality, Schenkerian analysis,
popular music, and music theory pedagogy.
University of West Georgia
Beverly Noell holds a Master of Arts
degree in music performance from California
State University. Her background includes
teaching flute and strings, and many years
teaching music to elementary school
students. She established the first elementary
strings program in Carroll County. She was
honored with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Award
for Teaching Excellence in 2005 in New York
City. Noell will teach String Techniques and
Materials at the University of West Georgia.
Tom Gibson is one of the most active
brass performers and teachers in the country.
He has performed solo recitals, concerts,
master classes, and clinics around the world.
He enjoys a triple career as trombonist,
conductor, and teacher/coach. Gibson is an
Eastman Corporation Performing Artist and
proudly performs on his Shires Trombone.
He holds a B.M. degree from the University
of Michigan, a M.M. from the University of
Northern Colorado and a D.M.A. from the
Catholic University of America. Gibson will
be instructor of trombone at the University of
West Georgia.
Philip Barnard holds a M.M. degree in
orchestral conducting from Georgia State
University. He has taught instrumental music
at several schools throughout the country,
and is currently the orchestra director at
Dunwoody High School in Atlanta. Barnard
brings a wealth of experience in orchestral
conducting to West Georgia, in addition to
his expertise in woodwind instruments. He
will be instructor of oboe at the University of
West Georgia.
Tim Fitzgerald holds a M.M. degree
in clarinet performance from Southern
Illinois University. He has been instructor
of clarinet at several secondary schools,
and currently is instructor of woodwinds at
Emory University. Fitzgerald is a member
of the GremlinsDuo, currently touring the
Southeast. A highly successful performer
as well as instructor, he brings his talents
as instructor of clarinet to the University of
West Georgia.
Valdosta State University
Kristin Pfeifer Yu is lecturer of violin
at Valdosta State University, where she also
serves as principal second violin for the
Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, and second
violinist for the Azalea String Quartet. She
received the baccalaureate and master’s
degrees from the University of Kentucky,
where she was a member of the Verdi String
Quartet, one of the fellowship string quartets
in residence. As an active chamber musician,
Pfeifer has had the opportunity to work with
St. Martin in the Fields, the Ying Quartet,
members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra,
and Trio Solis. She has attended numerous
summer festivals such as the Brevard Music
Center, Chautauqua Music Festival, Le
Domaine Forget, Indiana University String
Academy, and Colorado College Summer
Music Festival, among others. Pfeifer holds a
D.M.A. from Florida State University where
she studied with and served as graduate
teaching assistant to Eliot Chapo, former
concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic
As a Suzuki-registered teacher, she took the
initiative to help start the Character Center
String Academy, an afterschool enrichment
program for grade school students in
Tallahassee, as well as an outreach chamber
music program for the Okaloosa and Walton
County Schools. Her published doctoral
treatise is entitled Augusta Read Thomas’s
“Sun Threads” for String Quartet: A Study and
Performer’s Guide. She continues to explore
contemporary compositions for solo violin as
well as repertoire for mixed instrumentation
with the traditional string quartet.
Gabe Fankhauser
Beverly Noell
Tom Gibson
Philip Barnard
Tim Fitzgerald
Kristin Pfeifer Yu
55
CSU Wind Ensemble Performs at CBDNA
The CSU Wind Ensemble has been
selected to perform at the 2015 National
Conference of the College Band Directors
National Association. This will mark the
second time the ensemble has performed at
this biennial event. The concert performance
will be on Thursday, March 26, at 1:30 p.m.
at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center,
home of the Nashville Symphony, in
Nashville.
The area of wind ensemble activities at
Columbus State University is directed by
Jamie L. Nix and includes the CSU Wind
Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, Chamber
Winds, and the Graduate Wind Band
Conducting program. The Wind Ensemble
performs repertoire spanning almost 500
years, from the Renaissance period to
today’s modern, cutting-edge works. One
of the guiding principles of the ensemble is
the connection to leading musical minds.
Through commissioning and performing
new works by highly regarded composers to
collaborations with world-class performing
artists, the CSU Wind Ensemble has
distinguished itself as a leader among
university ensembles. Through CSU’s annual
Conductors Workshop, the ensembles have
hosted many well-known guest conductors.
The 2014 guests are Eugene Migliaro
Corporon and Kevin Sedatole. Guest soloists
and ensembles are also a vital part of the
regular curriculum and have included
many faculty soloists as well as nationally
recognized performers such as Charlie
Vernon, Mikhail Yanovitsky, Marimba
Yajalon, Andrew Harnsberger, Jonathan
Keeble, Peter Kurau, Jens Lindemann, and
others. The wind ensemble area has been
active in several commissions and consortia
including Robert Beaser’s song cycle The
End of Knowing, Paul Dooley’s Point
Blank, Carter Pann’s Symphony for Winds,
Mason Bates’s Sea Blue Circuitry, John
Mackey’s new fanfare for brass (due in 2015),
Shafer Mahoney’s Symphony in E-flat for
Wind Orchestra (on the Summit recording
Wind Legacy), Dorothy Chang’s Sunan
Dances (on the Summit recording Journey), J.
M. David’s Sinfonietta No. 1 (on the Summit
recording Electric Dawn), and I Wander in a
Dream of My Own Making by Christopher
Theofanidis (on the Summit recording
Visions).
CSU Wind Ensemble
Columbus State Hosts International
Saxophone Symposium
On October 23-26 Columbus State
University’s Schwob School of Music and
saxophone professor Amy Griffiths will
host the Second International Saxophone
Symposium and Competition (ISSAC).
ISSAC is an international solo saxophone
competition where many of the most gifted
young saxophonists in the world perform
in three live competition rounds. In
56
addition to the competition, ISSAC
will feature a large exhibit hall, a recital
and masterclass by virtuoso French soloist
Vincent David, and a separate masterclass
by internationally acclaimed saxophonist
Kenneth Tse, saxophone professor at the
University of Iowa. Preceding ISSAC 2014,
a concert featuring Branford Marsalis with
the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra will
take place in the RiverCenter’s Legacy Hall on
the evening of Wednesday, October 22.
ISSAC was created in 2012 as an
opportunity for exceptional saxophonists
to perform in an international competition
setting in North America and also to
celebrate saxophone playing of the highest
calibre. ISSAC draws saxophonists and
saxophone enthusiasts from every corner of
the globe. All of the advanced rounds of the
competition are live and open to the public.
A $50 fee includes attendance at all
ISSAC events: observation of all live
rounds of the competition, observation of
all masterclasses, entry to Vincent David’s
recital, and access to the exhibit hall. Tickets
to the Branford Marsalis concert are a
separate $50. Please visit issacsax.com for
more information.
Georgia Southern
Hosts Horn Workshop
On Saturday, November 1, Georgia
Southern University will host the 2014
Southeastern Georgia Horn Workshop from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Directed by Stephanie
Furry, GSU professor of horn, the workshop
is dedicated to promoting educational and
performance opportunities to students and
teachers of all ages, backgrounds, and levels
of interest. The schedule includes guest
recitals, ensemble performances, exhibits
with the latest instrument models from
Conn-Selmer, horn-related equipment from
Pladd Dot Music, and educational clinic
sessions of interest and benefit to all who
play or teach horn.
Featured artists presented in recital
include Stephanie Furry, assistant professor
of horn at GSU, Nancy S. Bennett, instructor
of horn at Armstrong State University,
Michael Daly, principal horn with the
Savannah Symphony, and Ashia Miller, horn
teacher for S.O.N.A.T.A. (Supporters of
New and Talented Artists), a private lesson
scholarship foundation in Savannah.
Workshop attendees will have an
opportunity to participate in horn choir
rehearsals throughout the day that culminate
in a closing horn choir performance.
Session topics include, but are not limited
to: Performance Masterclasses, Horn Care
and Maintenance, Horn Performance
Techniques, How to Select and Test a Horn,
Tools to Overcome Audition/Performance
Anxiety,
Q & A on Horn Related Topics for Educators,
and Audition Preparation.
For full information on guest artists,
schedule, and registration fees, visit
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/
ce/programs/professionaldevelopment/
hornworkshop/.
New Degree
Programs Announced Georgia State University
The Georgia State University School of
Music, through the university’s College of
Education, now offers a three-year Ed.D. in
curriculum and instruction (music education
concentration). The degree is expressly
intended for those who will remain working
in Georgia’s public schools. Admission is
highly competitive. Students must begin
the program in the summer term and will
take courses while continuing their teaching
jobs. Coursework leads directly to the
dissertation. Ed.D. students in music
education are eligible for generous graduate
assistantships.
Mercer University
The Townsend School of Music, Mercer
University Macon, announces availability
of a Bachelor of Music degree with elective
studies in an outside field. The new
program will offer a performance degree,
with the additional opportunity to include
18 hours of study in an elective area. The
degree replaces Townsend’s Bachelor of
Musical Arts.
University of Georgia The University of Georgia Hugh
Hodgson School of Music is pleased to
announce a new online Master of Music
Education degree program. The program,
geared toward providing post-graduate
professional development to in-service
music educators, will begin taking
applicants in the spring, with coursework
beginning in the summer semester. “The
creation of this degree represents another
step toward giving educators as many
options as possible,” said Dale Monson,
director of the Hodgson School. “Offering
this online degree program reaffirms the
university’s commitment to teaching,
research, and service.”
The Master of Music Education degree
is designed to enhance both practitioner
and research skills, preparing certified
teachers to assume professional leadership
roles in such activities as curriculum design,
methodology, mentorship, and teacher
research. Coursework for the program
consists of a minimum of 33 semester
hours. Prerequisite is a baccalaureate degree
in music education from an accredited
institution. Completion of the degree leads
to Georgia Teacher Certification in music
at the T-5 level. “Offering an online degree
will open the doors of opportunity to those
otherwise unable to complete their postgraduate studies,” said Monson. “We’re
proud to continue UGA’s strong tradition
of producing superior educators for future
generations.”
More information about the degree, the
application process, and financial aid is
available at online.uga.edu/mmed.
57
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Valdosta State to Host Jazz
Event
On December 5-6 Valdosta State
University will host the state high school
jazz clinic and the Georgia All-State
Jazz Ensemble auditions, a yearly event
sponsored by the Georgia Association of
Jazz Educators (GAJE) and the Georgia
Association of Music Educators (GMEA).
Students will be placed in five honor jazz
ensembles that will rehearse and present a
concert Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The
VSU Jazz Ensemble will present a concert on
Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitehead
Auditorium featuring Don Braden, guest
artist and clinician. Saxophonist Braden has
performed with such greats as Betty Carter,
Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tom
Harrell, Tony Williams, and many others.
He has recorded 18 CDs as a leader and was
the co-music supervisor/composer for Bill
Cosby’s CBS sitcom “Cosby.”
A Getzen 3508Y Custom Jazz Tenor
trombone will be awarded as a prize to the
top-scoring trombonist participating in the
clinic. Interested directors can contact
GAJE Clinic Coordinator John Abert
<[email protected]> for more
information.
Freer Appointed
Interim Director
Patrick K. Freer, professor
of music education, has
been appointed interim
director of the Georgia State
University School of Music.
Freer holds degrees from
Westminster Choir College
and Teachers College, Columbia University.
He has published over 90 articles in most of
the field’s leading national and international
journals, and is currently serving as
academic editor and chair of the editorial
committees for Music Educators Journal.
Active as a guest conductor of honor choirs
throughout the nation, Freer’s research
focuses on the sociology of adolescent boys
during and following the voice change.
2014–2015
String & Full
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Arrangements of Classics
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November 4. Concert. Jade String Trio.
Presser Hall, Maclean Auditorium. 7:30 p.m.
Admission free.
November 20. Concert. Collegiate
Chorale & Sotto Voce, Elise Eskew Sparks,
conductor, David D’Ambrosio, accompanist.
Presser Hall, Maclean Auditorium. 6:00 p.m.
Admission free.
WARMUPS Melody
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Rhythm
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Clayton State University
November 20. Concert. Clayton State
University Orchestra, Richard Bell,
conductor. Spivey Hall. 7:30 p.m. Admission
free.
December 7. Concert. Clayton State
University Chorale, Michael Fuchs,
conductor. Spivey Hall. 3:00 p.m. Admission
free.
Georgia Southern University
November 14. East Meets West
International Festival Recital. Professor
58
Fu-Chien Cho, piano, and Professor ChiaoLing Sun, violin, National Taiwan University
of the Arts, with the Elaris Duo, Larisa Elisha,
violin, and Steven Elisha, cello. Carol A.
Carter Recital Hall. 7:30 p.m. Admission free.
December 7. Concert. Southern Chorale
and University Singers. First United
Methodist Church of Statesboro. 3:00 p.m.
Admission free.
Georgia State University
November 7, 8, & 9. Opera. Rossini’s Il
barbiere di Siviglia. University Opera Theater.
Florence Kopleff Recital Hall. 8:00 p.m.
(November 7 & 8); 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
(November 9). Admission $10 general, $5
with student ID. Tickets available at the door,
cash or check only.
December 6 & 7. Annual Gala Holiday
Concert. 200 student musicians in a range
of School of Music ensembles, including
the University Symphony Orchestra,
Brass Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Saxophone
Ensemble, and combined choruses,
performing seasonal favorites. Rialto Center for
the Arts. Admission: $22, $32, and $48; GSU
students, faculty, and staff half-price
with ID.
Carols. Mercer Singers, Stanley L. Roberts,
conductor. St. Joseph Catholic Church,
Macon. 7:30 p.m. Admission free.
Kennesaw State University
November 4. School of Music Concerto
Competition. KSU Music Students. Bailey
Center for the Performing Arts. 8:00 p.m.
Admission $9-$12.
November 14 & 15. Opera. Pasatieri’s Hotel
Casablanca. KSU Opera Theater. Bailey Center
for the Performing Arts. 8:00 p.m. Admission
$11-$15.
November 18. Concert. Piedmont
College Wind Ensemble, Vicki Pinson,
conductor. Piedmont College Chapel. 7:30
p.m. Admission free.
December 5 & 6. Annual Service of
Lessons and Carols. Piedmont Chorale,
Lauren Ringwall, conductor, Joy Hayner,
organ, Piedmont Brass Ensemble. Piedmont
College Chapel. 7:30 p.m. Admission free.
LaGrange College
University of Georgia
December 7. Concert. Lessons and Carols.
Callaway Auditorium. 7:30 p.m. Admission free.
November 5, 6, & 7. Opera.
Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel. UGA Opera
Theatre, Symphony Orchestra, and Georgia
Children’s Chorus. UGA Performing Arts
Center. 7:30 p.m. Admission $18; $5 with
UGA student ID.
December 4 & 5. University of Georgia
Holiday Concert. UGA Symphony Orchestra
and combined choirs. Athens Classic Center
Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Admission $18; $5 with
Mercer University
October 10. Concert. Mercer University
Orchestra, Ward Stare, conductor. Fickling
Hall, McCorkle Music Building. 7:30 p.m.
Admission free.
December 6. A Festival of Lessons and
Piedmont College
UGA student ID.
University of North Georgia
October 23. Concert. UNG Wind
Ensemble. Hoag Auditorium, Dahlonega
Campus. 8:00 p.m. Admission free
December 2. Concert. University Chorale.
Ed Cabell Theater, Gainesville campus. 7:30
p.m. Admission free.
University of West Georgia
November 14. Concert. UWG Jazz
Ensemble, Daniel Bakos, director. Townsend
Center for the Performing Arts. 7:30 p.m.
Admission free.
November 18. Concert. UWG Concert
Choir and Chamber Singers, Kevin Hibbard,
conductor. Townsend Center for the
Performing Arts. 8:15 p.m. Admission free.
Valdosta State University
November 15. Beethoven Concert.
Valdosta Symphony Orchestra with
Awadagin Pratt, guest pianist. Whitehead
Auditorium. 8:00 p.m. Admission $27.
S C H WO B SCHO O L O F MUS IC | COLU M BU S S TA TE U NIVER S ITY ( G A )
17TH ANNUAL CONDUCTORS WORKSHOP
November 21 & 22, 2014
Begins Friday afternoon and continues through Saturday evening
Eugene Corporon
Kevin Sedatole
Large and Chamber Ensemble Conducting Sessions
Lectures and Panel Discussions
Conductor ($225) | Auditor ($75) | SDU (add $10)
Click “2014 Conductors Workshop” at music.columbusstate.edu/windensemble
Workshop details, downloadable brochure, and on-line registration available
For questions, email Fletcher Peacock at [email protected] or call 706-649-7252
Jamie L. Nix
www.ColumbusState.edu/Music
59
The Seventh Event
Georgia All-State Marching Band: 1960-1965
William E. Fry
In a recent e-mail to GMEA Orchestra
members, Nicole Thompson, GMEA
orchestra chair, reported that the growth in
the quality of Georgia orchestra programs,
combined with additional rehearsal space
for future All-State events at the University
of Georgia, would allow for the expansion
of All-State participation. Beginning in
2015, orchestra students will now have the
opportunity of participating in six All-State
Ensembles, double the number of ensembles
offered in the past.
This increase in All-State ensembles is
just the latest round of replications and
expansions that began with a doubling of the
Senior High All-State Band in 1975. Since
that time, All-State ensembles have increased
in all three of the major GMEA performance
divisions. Additionally, new All-State groups,
such as the All-College Band and All-State
Jazz Band were added to GMEA’s All-State
offerings in the late 1970s. With all this
growth in All-State activity, it is difficult to
believe that one GMEA All-State Ensemble,
the Georgia All-State Marching Band, failed
to survive. This All-State Marching Band
existed from 1960 to 1965.
George Corradino of Columbus, GMEA’s
instrumental chair, led a group that organized
the first All-State Marching Band in 1960.
The event began with joint sponsorship of
the Atlanta Journal and the Georgia High
School Association (GHSA) and involved
a one-week marching experience at the
University of Georgia, culminating with a
half-time performance of the annual GHSA
North-South All-Star Game at Georgia
Tech’s Grant Field. Corradino’s first official
statement concerning the All-State Marching
60
Band occurred in the Georgia Music News,
where he stated two goals: “to bring ideas
and inspiration to directors and members of
Georgia school bands and bring some sorely
needed favorable publicity to our school
music program” (Corradino, May 1960, p. 4).
The ensemble consisted of about 108
members: 96 instrumentalists, 11 majorettes,
and one drum major. From the beginning,
the selection of the membership was based
on band director recommendation. One
majorette and alternate was appointed by
each of the 11 GMEA districts, a process
that most districts accomplished during
solo/ensemble festivals in the spring. The
only statewide head-to-head competition
occurred with the selection of drum majors,
who met for try-outs in Dublin. This format,
along with the aforementioned organizational
details provided above, changed very little
during the group’s six-year history.
1960 All-State Marching
Band
The 1960 All-State Marching Band,
representing 34 schools, headed to Athens
on the afternoon of Sunday, July 31, and
rehearsed there until Thursday afternoon,
August 4. Mr. William Swor, then director
of DuPont High School in Jacksonville, Fla.,
served as guest conductor. During the week
Frank Arsenault, percussion clinician, and
Roger Dancz, band director at the University
of Georgia, held clinics for band directors.
Reaction to the inaugural All-State halftime performance was positive. In comments
to Corradino, Sam Burke, GHSA executive
secretary, stated, “The band did a fine job. . . .
I have heard a lot of fine comments in regard
to the performance. This is one of the finest
things you have done for music in the state”
(Corradino, Sept. 1960, p. 13).
1961 All-State Marching
Band
George Corradino
Writing in the March 1961 issue of Georgia
Music News, Corradino announced the
forthcoming information and application
sheets for the 1961 All-State Marching Band.
Two months later, in his last Georgia Music
News communication to the membership
before his term expired in the summer of
1961, Corradino confirmed the selection of
Frank Piersol from Iowa State as the 1961 AllState Marching Band director and clinician
(Corradino, May 1961, p. 14).
This All-State event was held at the
University of Georgia from Sunday, July
30, through noon on Thursday, August
3, at which time the band departed for an
evening performance at the GHSA All-Star
game at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field. The 1961
All-State Marching Band was comprised of
100 students; an alternate band, directed by
Roger Dancz and Steve Pyron, contained 50
students. In an increase over the previous
year, 52 schools were represented and about
50 directors attended clinics and All-State
Marching Band rehearsals.
Reaction to the 1961 All-State Band
was favorable. In an account of the GHSA
All-Star football game, an Atlanta Journal
reporter stated, “The All-State Marching
Band, studded with bandsmen from all over
Georgia, climaxed the show with a baton
dance performed by 12 All-State majorettes
to Dixie” (South 21, p. 14). In his final report,
Lloyd Tarpley, GMEA state instrumental chair,
wrote:
“The All-State Marching Band presented
an exceptionally fine and well received halftime show. It is the general consensus that
the 2nd Annual All-Star Marching Band was
very successful. Much hard work went into
it, but the students and directors benefitted
and the results were most gratifying”
(Tarpley, n.d., p. 2).
1962 All-State Band
Information for the 1962 All-State Marching
Band was contained within Lloyd Tarpley’s
Georgia Music News column in March 1962.
He announced the hiring of Don Marcoullier
of Drake University as the 1962 All-State
Marching Band Director. The four-day AllState marching event was held from Sunday,
July 29, through Thursday, August 2, at the
same practice sites and performance venue as
that of the past two years. The 1962 All-State
Band contained 96 instrumentalists and 11
majorettes from a total of 56 schools. Randall
Richards of Murray County High School
served as drum major.
In his recap of the GHSA All-Star football
game, Furman Bisher, sports editor for the
Atlanta Journal, wrote, “An All-Star Band of
high school players romped onto the field at
half-time and stole their part of the show, and
their performance, with four days of rehearsal,
was remarkable” (Bisher, p. 17).
1963 All-State Band
The 1963 All-State Marching Band met at
the University of Georgia on Sunday, August 4,
and rehearsed for four days before performing
at the GHSA All-Star game on Thursday,
August 8. The 108-member band was
composed of students from 70 high schools.
William “Rip” Reagan of Emma Sampson
High School in Gadsden, Ala., served as guest
director and clinician, while Phyllis Dancz
choreographed the majorette routines.
In his first article as GMEA instrumental
chair, Sanford B. Campbell wrote:
“The Fourth Annual All-State Marching
Band presented a spectacular half-time
show at the All-Star Football Game in
Atlanta. The band, under the direction of
Billy “Rip” Reagan, was certainly a tribute to
the fine work being done by the directors
throughout the state” (Campbell, Sept.
1963, p. 18).
In a letter of information concerning the
1964 All-State Marching Band, Huey G. Kent,
chair of the 1964 All-State Band, gave his
assessment of the 1963 All-State Marching
Band: “Last year’s All-State Marching Band
was a spectacular success. The members
returned to their bands with renewed
inspiration and enthusiasm. The performance
of our high school musicians thrilled the
35,000 fans at Grant Field” (Kent, n.d.).
accurate description of the 1965 All-State
Marching Band. This band is a credit
to the state instrumental directors as it
received many rounds of applause from
the crowd at Grant Field in Atlanta, while
presenting pre-game and half-time shows
at the Georgia High School All-Star Game”
(1965 All-State, p. 11).
By 1965 the All-State Band had established
itself as a performance and public relations
success; however, the operation had run a
deficit since 1963. Additionally, an increasing
number of directors began to question the
educational value of such an All-State group.
To assist in planning for the future, the
Instrumental Division sought band directors’
advice and input statewide, the results
of which were overwhelmingly negative
(King, Feb. 1966, p. 19). A motion was made
and accepted to discontinue the All-State
Marching Band, thus ending a part of GMEA
All-State history.
1964 All-State Band
References
In the February 1964 issue of Georgia
Music News, Sanford Campbell announced
the selection of Jack Lee of the University
of Arizona as the 1964 All-State Marching
Band director and clinician. All-State
Marching week was held at the University of
Georgia August 2-6, with the half-time show
performance at Grant Field in Atlanta on the
evening of August 6. Phyllis Dancz organized
the majorette routines.
In follow-up comments written in his
Georgia Music News instrumental music
column, Campbell remarked, “Our 1964
All-State Marching Band was certainly a big
success. . . . the band was a real tribute to the
fine work being done by directors throughout
the state” (Campbell, Sept. 1964, p. 10).
1965 All-State Marching Band. (1965,
September). Georgia Music News.
Bisher, F. “South 7 – North 6.” Atlanta
Journal, 3 August 1962, p. 17.
Campbell, S. B. (1963, September).
Instrumental Division column. Georgia
Music News.
Campbell, S.B. I(1964, September).
Music News.
Corradino, G. (1960, May). All State
Marching Band. Georgia Music News.
Corradino, G. (1960, September).
Music News.
Corradino, G. (1961, May.) Instrumental
Division column. Georgia Music News.
Kent, H. G. (n.d.). “Georgia All-State Band.”
TM, Georgia College and State University
Library, Milledgeville.
King, M. W. (1966, February). Instrumental
Division column. Georgia Music News.
South 21 – North 6. Atlanta Journal, 4
August 1961, p. 14.
Tarpley, L. (n.d.). “1961 All-State Marching
Band Report,” p. 2. TMs, Georgia
College and State University Library,
Milledgeville.
1965 All-State Band
The 1965 edition of the All-State Marching
Band, chaired by Huey Kent, was held at
the traditional rehearsal and performance
locations from Sunday, August 1, to Thursday,
August 5. William H. Basden, director of
the award-winning Camden High School
(S.C.) Marching Band, directed the band and
presented several clinics. Prior to the start
of the GHSA All-Star game, Boyd McKeown,
president of GMEA, directed the All-State
Marching Band in the National Anthem.
In a review of the 1965 All-State Marching
Band, a Georgia Music News writer recapped
with the following:
“A band characterized by fine precision
maneuvers and a ‘big’ sound would be an
William E. Fry retired as a band and
orchestra director in 2011 after 36 years
of teaching. Currently, he is director of the
Columbus Community Orchestra and teaches
Music Appreciation at Columbus Technical
College.
61
Music at Georgia State University.
Create. Produce. Perform. Inspire.
Fall COnCert hIGhlIGhtS
UnderGradUate MaJOrS
aUdItIOn dateS
Rossini’s The Barber of Seville
Georgia State University Opera Theater
November 7-9, 2014
Kopleff Recital Hall
Composition
Jazz Studies
Music Education
Friday, November 14, 2014
Friday, March 6, 2015 (instrumental)
Saturday, March 7 ,2015 (voice)
17th Annual Gala Holiday Concert
December 6 & 7, 2014
Rialto Center for the Arts
Music Management
Music Technology
Performance
GradUate deGreeS/PrOGraMS
Master of Music Artist Certificate in Music
Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Education
www.music.gsu.edu
Visit www.music.gsu.edu for more information on
the Georgia State University School of Music and a
complete listing of upcoming concerts and events.
gsumusic

Volume 75 Number 1 Fall 2014

Transcription

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