Introducing Buddy Chapters - the Wisconsin Music Educators

Introducing Buddy Chapters
Jacki Thering UW-Oshkosh
I’d like to draw your attention to a change we’ve made this year regarding how each chapter in the state is
represented by the State Steering Committee and how this can benefit all chapters with YOUR participation. In
the past, each member of the Steering Committee was assigned a number of chapters to represent. This year
we’ve decided to divide the state up geographically so each region would include one “large” chapter and some
“smaller” chapters.
The idea is that chapters of different sizes in the same part of the state can interact and learn from each other.
The buzz words this year are communication and collaboration. We can learn a lot from other chapters, and this
restructuring will hopefully facilitate some exchange of ideas between chapters.
Here is a short list of ways you might like to try. You can start by inviting surrounding chapters…
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To your special events or to hear guest speakers.
To volunteer at your university’s State Solo and Ensemble Festival.
To arrange carpooling to Collegiate Conference.
To participate in a joint performance/fundraiser/event/social.
To create a new event involving multiple chapters or to combine existing events.
At your next meeting, see how many other ideas your chapter can come up with and then get the ball rolling!
Keep in mind, too, that in the near future we will be colleagues in the field of music education, and it never hurts
to start networking and making connections early. Make an effort to introduce yourself to people from different
chapters than your own at events like Collegiate Conference.
Take the initiative to start contact between chapters. Check out our website at
http://www.wmea.com/collegiate/chapters/index.html to obtain contact information to get started. (If your
chapter information is missing or outdated, please submit that information to Amanda Lewin at
[email protected].) Feel free to send in pictures and stories of how your chapter has used the “buddy
system” this year for inclusion in the next newsletter. I look forward to hearing about your experiences!
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CMENC Buddy Chapters 2009-2010
UW Eau Claire
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UW River Falls
UW Superior
Mount Senario College
Northland College
UW La Crosse
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Viterbo University
UW Milwaukee
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Carroll College
Carthage College
Mount Mary College
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Alverno College
Cardinal Stritch University
Concordia University
UW Parkside
UW Oshkosh
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Lawrence University
Marian University
Ripon College
Silver Lake College
UW Stevens Point
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Lakeland College
Saint Norbert College
UW Green Bay
UW Manitowoc
UW Whitewater
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Edgewood College
UW Madison
UW Platteville
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If you are planning on going,
You should register before Monday,
January 4th, 2010.
Why attend collegiate conference?
• You can’t learn everything in a classroom.
• One of the best Middle School Band Directors in the
State will be there presenting.
• IT’S FREE!
• It’s a great way to make connections.
• Get a head start on being a teacher.
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Collegiate Conference Information
Abigail Pulvermacher, UW-Whitewater
On January 9, 2010 this years Collegiate Conference will be
hosted at UW-Whitewater. This event is FREE and open to any
CMENC members, high school students, and Tri-M members.
Registration/check-in will be from 9:30-10 am in Greenhill Center of
the Arts. Our guest speaker of the day will be Mr. Chris Gleason (see
bio info below). The opening keynote address is titled, “Ten Keys to
Success.” The opening address will focus on ten aspects to teaching that
presenter Chris Gleason has found that lead to success in the music
classroom. The keys to success directly link to the CMP model. The
session will offer insight into the model and practical concepts to be used in the classroom.
Following the opening session there will be break out sessions of which you may choose
which one you would like to attend. Mr. Gleason will also be presenting a session titled “The
Interview Process- getting the Job!” In this session, Chris Gleason will share tips and suggestions on
getting an interview, the interview process, and what comes next! The session will include ideas for
resumes, cover letters, portfolios, electronic media, interview questions, interview tips, and much
more. Here are a few more of our guests: Dr. Glenn Hayes, Dr. Alan Rick, Dr. Christian Ellenwood,
Angela Mariachi, Dr. Michael Dugan, and Professor Steven Rindt to name a few. There will be a free
lunch provided to all students and then more break out sessions to attend. There will also be a
reading session for all, which will be a great chance to work through different levels of music, and
there will be a closing session to finish off the day. Collegiate Conference follows a similar format to
that of the state conference, but it is just on a smaller scale. If you have any questions or concerns
please contact Abi Pulvermacher at [email protected]
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We look forward to seeing you at this conference!
Chris Gleason
Chris Gleason earned his BME at UW-Eau Claire in 1997 and his
Masters Degree from UW-Lacrosse in 2002. He has taught band in
the East Troy School District and the Lacrosse School District. He
currently teaches concert band and jazz ensemble at Patrick Marsh
Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Under Mr. Gleason's direction the Patrick Marsh Band
Program has increased in size from 168 members in 2004 to 294 in 2009. Mr. Gleason's 8th Grade
Band has performed at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda, the "New
Wisconsin Promise Conference", and the 2006 Wisconsin State Music Conference. The 8th Grade
Band performed the world premiere of Blue and Green Music by composer, Samuel R. Hazo at the
2009 Wisconsin State Music Conference. In 1992 Mr. Gleason was selected as the Wisconsin
Governor’s Scholar to Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. Mr. Gleason has performed
professionally at Disneyland, Valleyfair, and the Mall of America. He has been guest conductor of
numerous camps and festivals including the Tri-State Honors Band, UW-Milwaukee Honors Band
and UW-Whitewater Band Camp. He has also served as the Tuba/Euphonium Instructor for the
Indianhead Arts Camp in Shell Lake, Wisconsin for many years. He is the chair-elect of the
Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Committee. He has taught
CMP Workshops at VanderCook College of Music, the Los Angeles Unified School District in
California, and numerous districts in Wisconsin. Mr. Gleason is the founder and organizer of the
Kalahari Band Festival in Wisconsin Dells. Mr. Gleason is a member of NBA, WMEA, and MENC.
([email protected])
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WMEA Conference Session Recap
Brought to you by all your favorite CMENC State Steering Committee Members
Fiddling, Jazz, Mariachi, Rock and Blues for Strings Session Presenter: Bob Phillips
The string people who stayed at Conference through the end of Friday scored big at this final session of the day:
Fiddling, Jazz, Mariachi, Rock and Blues for Strings with Bob Phillips. Phillips is co-author of a number of
popular string books including Fiddler’s Philharmonic, Jazz Philharmonic, and Mariachi Philharmonic. Each attendee
received a set of four books, which were referenced during the presentation. He explained that fiddling pieces
should be taught by ear and that written music helps to serve as a memory aid and reference during practicing.
Rather than learning a piece for a concert and then never returning to it, Phillips advised using alternative string
styles to develop a common repertoire that all your students know. The students will be united by that bond, and
they will always have music ready for any gig that might come up. He also stressed that all students should learn
the melody and the harmony parts, regardless of the student’s instrument. He related the story of a concert he
was guest conducting where part assignments were decided on the spot; cellos and violas ended up playing the
melody, and the basses asked to play the more difficult break part, leaving the violins with the harmony. That
concert was the highlight of one bass student’s time in his high school orchestra. Attendees left this session with
a wealth of practical tips, a greater understanding of alternative string styles and how to teach them, as well as a
generous supply of new books.
-Jacki Thering
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Comprehensive Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Curricula and Creative Teaching and Learning in General Music
Session Presenter: Dr. Lois Veenhoven Guderian
Though I definitely took something away from every session I attended at the 2009 WMEA Conference, this
session stood out as one of the best that I attended. At this session Dr. Lois Veenhoven Guderian, a professor at
UW-Superior presented a hands-on lesson that incorporated all nine of the National/Wisconsin Academic
Standards for Music. We sang and played Orff instruments, which we then improvised on. We read and
analyzed a combined version of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” and then
listened to and evaluated other versions of the pieces. Dr. Veenhoven Guderian then related what we were
learning to both art and history, bringing the number of standards met up to eight out of nine. And though we
didn’t have time to actually compose during the session, she relayed ideas of how to do so in relation to the
other activities we completed. As someone who is about to enter the field of music education, the task of
incorporating all nine standards into a unit or series of lessons often seems daunting to me. But this session
gave me confidence and showed me how easily it can be done. If Dr. Veenhoven Guderian can do it in one short
session, then I am sure I’ll be able to do the same over a longer period of time!
-Jenny Spiegel
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MIOSM: Time to Get Started!
Tony Kading, UW-Whitewater
„Tis the season! Not the Holidays, but Music In Our Schools Month!
There are many similarities between the holiday season and MIOSM. They
both inspire giving, they both bring out the best in humanity, they both have
great music, and they both should last all year! Every March we music
educators give a little more push advocating for our programs, and it is this
kind of push we need all year long.
In the past CMENC has gone out to the schools in our area and
played, taught sectionals, or helped out in anyway they could. We have
hosted a poster contest for music advocacy. We invited the community to
our schools for a musical petting zoo. All of these events have been great
successes across the state and have had big impact in our communities. This
year we want to take those efforts straight to the people making decisions
that will directly impact us and our future. This year we are asking you to
rally your troops and inundate the offices of our local and state legislators
with letters that illustrate how important music in our schools really is.
What to do: Easy as Do Re Mi
 Check the CMENC section of the WMEA website. http://www.wmea.com/collegiate/index.html
 CMENC will post the mailing address of some important local and state legislators, and
some form letters. All we ask is that you sign and send as many letter as you can.
 Collect advocacy artifacts from your community.
 This can be anything illustrates how music effects your community. Use your
imagination and resources.
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Letters from music students.
Letters from music parents.
Schedule of music events in you community.
Programs from local music events.
Recording of some of you ensembles
Posters from elementary general music classrooms.
 Host a MIOSM party.
 Invite all your friends!
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Have letters ready to be signed and envelopes ready to be stuffed.
Have your guests bring an artifact or two.
Provide food and drinks.
Have a door prize or party games.
Just find a way to draw a crowd and make it fun!
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CMENC Word Search
1) Lawrence University’s Mascot_________________
2) Choir Director At UW-Platteville _____________ ________________________
3) UW-Stevens Point’s Main Recital Hall_____________________________
4) UW-Eau Claire’s Fine Arts Building Name_________________ ___________________
5) School Of the Arts (at UWM) Current WMEA President (last name) _________________
6) Test Series To take to become an educator____________________
7) Sing expressively, with technical and stylistic accuracy, a__________ Repertoire of music
8) Orchestra Director at UW-Oshkosh (last name) ______________________
9) Music Director For Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (last name)____________________
10) “_____________ is the color of my true love’s hair.”
11) “Twa _______________” by Sydney Guillaume (choral piece)
12) Executive Director At Wisconsin Center For Music Education (last name) ______________
13) “______________ Eats Las Vegas” By Eric Whitacre
14) Real “old school” trombone _________________
15) UW-River Fall’s Mascot ___________________________
16) Solo/Ensemble Or State Marching Band Competition_________
17) ___ ___ ___ ___Hosts Conference In the Fall At the Monona Terrace
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From Our Chapter to Yours: Ideas for a Successful Start to CMENC
Jenny Spiegel, UW-La Crosse
From Our Chapter to Yours: A Small but Growing Chapter
For this edition of “From Our Chapter to Yours,” I‟d like to take the
opportunity to tell you, my fellow CMENC members, about the things I‟ve
learned about running an effective chapter from my experiences with our chapter
at UW-La Crosse.
Let me begin by giving a bit of background information about our
chapter. According to some of the UW-L music faculty, our chapter was quite
active in earlier years. But this was not the case when I joined CMENC as a
freshman in 2006. At that time, meetings were held sporadically and the only
events we volunteered for/participated in were the yearly Jazz Fest, State Solo &
Ensemble, and one fund-raiser where we split the proceeds with our marching
band.
Since then, our members have strived to improve and expand our chapter. Though the number of
active members is still relatively small, the participation of that small number of people is admirable.
The number of students attending state conferences has improved considerably (though it pales in
comparison to the attendance of other schools). But nonetheless, we are definitely making progress.
Here are some of the new events and fund-raisers we have tried over the past few years:
-Music Department Formal
-Praxis II Informational Presentation
-T-Shirt Sales (3 new designs)
-Presentation on Performance/Audience Etiquette by Joyce Grill
-Music Department Picnic
-Meet the Composers
-Presentation on Korean Children‟s Music by Professor Soojin Kim Ritterling
-Q&A with Local Music Teachers
-Round Table Discussion with Catherine Bell Robertson, Author of Confessions of a First-Year
Maestro
-Presentation by Jerry Kember, Former Music Teacher & Current Superintendent of the
La Crosse School District
-Chapter trips to campus/community events (both musical and non-musical)
As you can see, we‟ve found new ways to raise money and create learning experiences for
members and students. This year we are striving to become more involved in the community and
schools, which we hope to accomplish during Music In Our Schools Month this coming spring.
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I‟d like to finish by sharing some things that I have learned over the past few years as a member
and officer in a small, but growing, chapter of CMENC.
-Don‟t be afraid to try new things. Keep doing the things and events that work, and say
“sayonara” to the ones that don‟t.
-Hold meetings regularly. Weekly (on alternating Thursdays and Fridays, to accommodate for
scheduling conflicts) has worked best for us.
-Free food brings people in.
-If you‟re an officer, don‟t be afraid to let others have responsibility. If you‟re a perfectionist,
that may be more difficult than it sounds, but people will often surprise you when given
the chance.
-Faculty, custodians, and office/lab managers are very helpful people.
-Things won‟t always go smoothly, but stay positive!
If you or your chapter have any ideas, concerns, or suggestions you‟d like to share, or you‟d like
more information on any of the events we‟ve tried here at UW-L, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected].
If you have any suggestions for how this newsletter can serve you better, or
any information you would like to see in it, please send your comments to
Nicole Hudachek at [email protected].
Thank you and enjoy your winter!
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