sbo july 2008

Directors’ Survival Guide • Essay Contest WinnersJULY 2008

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SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each. February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2008 by Symphony Publish-ing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Cover design by Andrew Ross

4 Perspective

6 Headlines

56 New Products

60 Calendar

61 Playing Tip

62 Classifi eds

64 Ad Index

Columns

2 School Band and Orchestra, July 2008

Features

14 FROM THE TRENCHES: TOOLS OF THE TRADEBob Morrison presents a number of essential advocacy tools for music educators.

20 UPCLOSE: SUSAN WATERSSBO catches up with Oliver Middle School’s director of bands, Susan Waters, who sheds some insight into her 20 years of making band “the thing to do.”

30 SBO’S 10TH ANNIVERSARYSBO publisher Rick Kessel provides a brief retrospec-tive as we celebrate the magazine’s tenth year of serv-ing music educators.

36 REPORT: ESSAY WINNERSRead the winning essays in SBO’s eighth annual essay scholarship contest, the subject of which was, “Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why music is so important to my complete education.”

44 SURVEY: SURVIVAL GUIDEThis latest SBO survey fl eshes out some of the survival tactics of today’s music educators.

50 TECHNOLOGY: RHYTHMIC INDEPENDENCE

Contents July 2008

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14

30

10Years

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W W W . P E A R L D R U M . C O M

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Perspective®

July 2008Volume 11, Number 7

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Music and HealthN

umerous books, articles, and studies have been published in recent years about the positive correlation between musical performance and im-proved scores on standardized tests and other intelligence assessments. Children who learn to perform music also have a variety of other positive social and behavioral benefi ts. Recently, best-selling

author and physician, Oliver Sacks has published a book titled Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, which suggests that, in addition to all of the other benefi ts of music, there is a physiological heal-ing effect of music on those who suffer from Al-zheimer’s, Autism, or Parkinson’s disease. Accord-

ing to an AP report on May 31, Sacks says that, “Even with advanced dementia, when powers of memory and language are lost, people will respond to music.”

As an avid music lover, Sacks addresses the confl uence of neurology and music in this book which reviews a vari-ety of individual cases where he studies both the therapeu-tic aspects of music, as well as the pathological changes that have affected people’s response and ability to perform and hear music. Some of the more interesting and unusual cases he cites in his book are musical hallucinations by

people with hearing loss; people who had seizures that were triggered by certain types of music; and a lightening strike on a doctor causing him to develop a mania for music. This book is certainly a good summer read for anyone interested in the impact of music on the mind.

Another resource for the ways in which music positively effects healing and improves the body’s immune system is The Healing Music Organization (www.healingmusic.org). An article by Amrita Cottrell on this site refers to a 1993 study on psycho-immunology which indicates “that there is a direct link be-tween a person’s thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, and emotions and the health of the immune system. This being the case, we have the ability to be proactive in the health of our body, mind, and spirit through music.” The evidence sited in Sacks’ book and within this Web site adds to the growing body of evidence that supports active listening and performing of music as benefi cial to our overall well-being.

“We have the ability to be

proactive in the health of our

body, mind, and spirit through

music.”

Rick [email protected]

10Years

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HeadLines

TI:ME Names New Executive Director

TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators, has appointed Kay Fitzpatrick the new executive

director. Kay replaces John Dunphy, who resigned in December 2007.

Kay Fitzpatrick, JD, CAE, has been in association management for 18 years; she was certifi ed as an associa-tion executive in 1997. She has served as CEO of two nonprofi t 501(c)(6) and two nonprofi t 501(c)(3) organizations,

including the Michigan Music Conference since 2006. Kay served on the Board of Directors of her state professional society, the Michi-gan Society of As-sociation Execu-

tives, for six years; she currently serves on the Boards of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation and the Detroit Executive Service Corps. She has taught university level law, association management and busi-ness-related courses, both face-to-face and online.

For more information, please visit TI:ME’s Web site at www.ti-me.org.


Jazz Education Network Launched

The Jazz Education Network (JEN) was formed on June 1, 2008. The association will be

focused on advancing and expanding jazz education, jazz performance op-portunities, and jazz audiences.

More than 35 leaders from the jazz education community and its affi li-ated industries gathered in suburban Chicago to discuss the need for an or-ganization geared to serve profession-als and students in the jazz education fi eld. The meetings were facilitated by Gene Wenner of Arts & Education Consultants, Bob Breithaupt of Jaz-zArts Group and Matt Carter of Music

10Years

Crossroads. After two days of discus-sion and deliberations, the group en-thusiastically agreed to form Jazz Education Network.

“The outcome of this meeting was clear,” said Mary Jo Papich, president of JEN. “There is a burning need to help build a strong commu-nity in jazz education. There is a void that must be fi lled. Our goal is to be an essential resource for anyone involved in or with jazz education.”

The mission statement for the or-ganization states: The JazzEducation Network is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing ed-ucation, promoting performance and developing new audiences.

“We understand that this is a monu-mental endeavor,” said Papich, “but it is vitally important this work be done. Collaborating together, our goal is to support a strong and well-equipped community that meets the needs of 21st-century education. We will strive to be inclusive, rather than exclusive. As a result, jazz education can have a positive impact on the lives of many more students of all backgrounds. We will work to identify and inspire new audiences. Our goal is to help focus the creative power, grace and beauty of jazz that expands far beyond play-ing the music and into what makes a life well lived.”

In addition to electing Papich as president, the Network’s initial tempo-rary board will include Lou Fischer as vice president, Bruce Silva as treasurer and Julie Traenkenschuh as secretary.

Papich is the Fine Arts chair at High-land Park High School and Focus on the

Arts festival director in High-land Park, Ill. Fischer is a lead-ing jazz educator who serves as professor of music at Capi-tal University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, Ohio. Silva is vice president of Buffet Crampon USA in Jacksonville, Fla., and Traenkenschuh is di-rector of bands at Woodruff High School in Peoria, Ill.

The following agreed to hold offi ce as board members until after the fi rst meeting of the membership:

Jim Widner (Mo.)Steve Crissinger (Ohio)Paul Chiaravelle (Ill.)Ruben Alvarez (Ill.)Paris Rutherford (Texas)Andrew Surmani (Calif.)Rick Kessel (Mass.)Michael Kenyon (Ind.)Dan Gregerman (Ill.)Bob Breithaupt (Ohio)Ellen Rowe (Mich.)Jarrard Harris (Ill.)The Network is in the process of

fi ling for non-profi t organization sta-tus. Once complete, it will begin the work of developing programs, events and attracting membership.

A Web site will be up shortly at www.jazzednet.org that will provide organiza-tional updates and membership informa-tion. There will be a section requesting input from potential membership, as JEN will be a member driven organization.

For more information, please contact Mary Jo Papich ([email protected]) or Lou Fischer ([email protected]).

Metallica recently staged a benefi t concert on May 14 at Los Angeles’ Wil-tern Theatre (capacity 2,300), raising more than $375,000 for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The conserva-tory, a nonprofi t organization designed to facilitate basic music education and

co-founded by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, will use the money to fund programs, operations, and scholarships for low-income students.

For more information on the con-servatory, please visit www.silverlakeconservatory.com.

Metallica Rocks for Silverlake Conservatory

Dr. Lou Fischer

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Conrad O. Johnson (1915-2008)

Conrad O. Johnson, an educator for more than 50 years and leader of the legendary Kashmere High School Stage Band of Houston, Texas, passed away on February 3, 2008, only one day af-ter attending a concert held by former students who had gathered to honor his 92nd birthday.

Mr. Johnson was featured on the cov-er of the September, 2006 issue of SBO.


NAMM Members Lobby Congress to Support Music Ed

Members of NAMM, the not-for-profi t trade asso-ciation of

the international mu-sic products industry, recently converged on Washington D.C. for the organization’s annual Advocacy Fly-In event to take the music product industry’s pro-music-education mes-sage to their respective elected federal lawmakers in Congress.

The group of 25 music product industry professionals separated into eight groups, logging an unprecedent-ed 73 meetings with elected offi cials and staffers.

The NAMM delegates explained the need to keep music and arts education as core curriculum subjects in the reauthori-zation of the No Child Left Behind Act, and to include in the law greater fl exibili-

ty and funding in Title I to provide access to music education and ensure a quality

and complete education for all students.

The NAMM rep-resentatives also out-lined their goals to

advance policy reform by supporting an ongoing study by the Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO) to assess the impact of NCLB on student access to quality music and arts education.

Strengthening the industry’s case, NAMM has supported scientifi c re-search showing the link between mu-sic and student performance. Recent NAMM-sponsored studies have shown:

Students in top-quality middle school music programs scored 22 percent better in English and 20 percent better in math than stu-dents in defi cient music programsStudents in top-quality instru-mental programs in high schools scored 17 percent higher in math-ematics than students in schools without a music programTeenagers’ view music making as their “social glue” and that music education gives them the balanced experience in life they require.

In addition, recent public opinion surveys have shown overwhelming sup-

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port for access to music education and identify a new and growing constituen-cy of voters (30 percent) who advocate building capacities of the imagination and education going beyond the current focus on “basics.” Statistics include:

91 percent of voters indicate that music and arts are essential to building imagination82 percent of voters want to build imagination and creative skills in schools86 percent of those people with college degrees participated in a music education program96 percent of principals inter-viewed agree that participating in music programs encourages stu-dents to stay in school.

For years, NAMM has conducted research regarding the effects of play-ing music on children and people of all ages. Research indicates that children who are engaged in music score higher on standardized tests and have higher school retention and graduation rates. Playing music has helped adults in-crease productivity, build confi dence, reduce stress, stave off depression and provides an opportunity to learn and grow socially and emotionally.

For more information, visit www.namm.org.

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10Years HeadLines

Filmmaker Edward Hermoza Kramer received an Emmy Award for outstanding achieve-

ment in cultural docu-mentary from the Nation-al Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Pacifi c Southwest Region on Saturday, June 14, 2008, for his documentary of the Coastal Communities Concert Band of Encini-tas (Calif.).

The 60 minute docu-mentary, “Community Band – Our Lives in Mu-

sic” is an in-depth study of the 80-mem-ber concert band containing interviews with director Don Caneva, composer/

arranger Sammy Nestico and numerous band and audience members. It cap-tures the band in behind the scenes footage as they rehearse and perform.

The documentary has aired numerous times on KPBS San Diego and lo-cal access stations and is available on DVD.

For more information, visit wwwcccband.com.

Band Documentary Wins Emmy

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PASIC 2008 Highlights

10Years HeadLines

The Percussive Arts Society In-ternational Convention (PASIC) will take place in Austin, Texas

from November 5-8, 2008. For the sec-ond time in the event’s history, Austin will play host to more than 7,000 drum-mers and percussionists from around the world at the Austin Convention Center and Hilton Hotel. The event will feature more than 130 events on 13 stages and session topics spanning a variety of areas, including drumset, symphonic, marching, recreational, world, and keyboard percussion.

Legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band will present Saturday evening’s showcase concert. Other showcase events include German marimba vir-tuoso Katarzyna Mycka and a perfor-mance by Na’rimbo, a marimba en-semble from Chiapas, Mexico.

Drumset artists include Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta), Ed Soph (Stan

Kenton, Woody Her-man), Gavin Harri-son (Porcupine Tree), Derico Watson (Victor Wooten Band), Erik Smith (Erik Smith Trio, Smiths Venner), Albe Bo-nacci (Jack Segal, Diane Warren), Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal, Malevo-lent Creation) and Marc Quiñones, Bobby Allende, and Jessie Caraballo will come together for a joint Latin drumset session.

Nick Angelis and Dominick Cuccia will each present marching percussion sessions. The United States Military Academy Band West Point “Hellcats” with guest Marty Hurley is also sched-uled to perform a marching clinic. Key-board artists include Latin jazz legend Victor Mendoza, leading vibraphone and marimba artist Arthur Lipner and international marimba soloist Pedro Carneiro. Symphonic session presenters include the Marine Band Percussion Sec-

tion, Rob Falvo with John R. Beck, and a

timpani master class by French percussionist Fred-

eric Macarez. Recreational drum-ming specialists will include sessions by Jim Greiner, Kenya Marsala with Steve Campbell, and Arthur Hull, who will lead the Sunday Drum Circle Facilita-tion Workshop. World presentations will be given by Bernard Woma, Taku Hirano, and a world/electronic clinic by Luis Conte with Brad Dutz. Victor Mendoza will also give a Late Night Performance, as will the Pete Zimmer Quartet. All artists mentioned have con-fi rmed their appearance at PASIC 2008; however, artists are subject to change without notice. Additional confi rmed artists will be updated throughout the summer at www.pasic.org.

The convention’s International Drum and Percussion Expo will high-light more than 100 industry exhibi-

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Without changing instruments or handslides, this provides the player the support and resistance heretofore only available with small bore tenor trombones or smaller handslides.This new approach allows the working musician to travel the subway with one instrument and be prepared for whatever music is on the stand when he gets to his gig.This also makes the H-700-LQ the ideal instrument for the aspiring musician who owns only one professional trombone. The surprising low price makes this trombone

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10Years HeadLinestors showcasing the latest in percussion instruments, publications and services. The Expo will be open to convention attendees November 6-8 and available to the general public daily for $15; children under 12 are admitted free.

The annual PASIC Marching Per-cussion Festival will take place on No-

vember 6 and 7. The festival features a competition of high school and col-legiate drumlines and solo performers vying for top honors in this nationally recognized contest. Tickets for Friday, November 7 are available to the gen-eral public for $15 and includes access to the International Drum and Percus-

sion Expo; children 12 and under are admitted free.

Registration for PASIC 2008 is available online at www.pasic.org or by calling (800) 540-9030. Early reg-istration pricing is available through September 26; on-site registration is also available.

Sabian and PAS Present Scholarships

Sabian, in conjunction with the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), has announced the recipients for the

2008 PAS/Sabian Larrie Londin Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was created to support promising young drummers. Sabian has contributed $3,000 to the pro-gram each year for the past 10 years.

This year’s scholarship recipients are:

In the 17-and-under category:1st place, Darek Hobbs, age 17, •

from Portage, Mich. (recipient of $750)2nd place, Kolton Stewart, age 8, from Ontario, Canada (recipient of $250)

In the 18-24 category:1st place, Jonathan Barber, age 18, from Windsor, Conn. (recipi-ent of $2,000)

The Larrie Londin Memorial Schol-

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arship recipients are judged on talent and merit. The scholarship program is open to all percussionists who submit a three-minute DVD demonstrating their ability to perform an array of drum-ming styles, along with an essay on why the recipient feels he or she qualifi es for the scholarship and how the money would be used (college, summer camp, private teacher, et cetera).

For more information, please visit www.pas.org or www.sabian.com.

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SBOFrom the Trenches

Tools of the Trade

What, you didn’t think about that last one? I thought so! No time to focus on advocacy? Well if you do not care enough to plan how to advocate and promote your pro-gram, who will?

Yes, I know this can be time consuming. But fear not, we have prepared a special article and Web page to provide you

with all of the “Tools of the Trade” you will need to turn you and your supporters into world-class advocates.

To make things a little easier everything mentioned in this article – all of the tools, articles, materials, resources – is available on-line at: www.musicforall.org/Resources/Ad-vocacy/tools.aspx.

We have also organized all of our tools into categories, so be sure to save this issue of your magazine or cut out this article for future reference. I guarantee this will be one tool you will most certainly use!

HumorVideo One of the best ways to make a diffi cult point

without coming off as too aggressive is to use humor. One of the best tools I have found to make the point about the impact of No Child Left Behind is the song and video, “Not on the Test” by the famous singer/songwriter Tom Chapin. Here’s a sample:

Time to get ready for the new school

year, which means planning your pro-

grams, selecting your music, getting

your lesson plans arranged, reviewing

your student roster, instrumentation or vocal

range and… planning your advocacy activities!

BY BOB MORRISON

10Years

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10YearsGo on to sleep now third grader of

mine. The test is tomorrow but you’ll do

just fi ne. It’s reading and math… forget all

the rest. You don’t need to know what is not

on the test.

You can download the video or the MP3 fi le of the song free from the link listed above!

Cartoons Another effective humor tool is the use of cartoons. The Inter-net is full of cartoons about No Child Left Behind and the reduction to music and arts programs. Just Google “arts education and NCLB” and click on the images tab. This will deliver a treasure trove of materials for advocates to use to make the point about the negative impact of too much testing, and the point is often made in a light-hearted, but effective, manner.

AccountabilityWhen I fi rst founded Music for All,

we developed a formula that we be-lieve best represents how to improve access to music and arts education programs. The formula is:

Data empowers advocacy. Advocacy empowers public policy. Public policy creates change. And change creates... more music and arts programs!

Information regarding the status and condition of music and arts pro-grams will be a critical factor as we move through the coming years. Gath-ering data on your program is just as important. Here are some reports to consider as you look at your own pro-grams:

• Center for Education Policy Docu-ments Decline in Time for Arts – The new study of how the No Child Left Behind Act continues to narrow instructional time spending more time on reading, math, and science but squeezing out the arts.

• Original Study Shows "No Child Left Behind" Curtails Study of the Arts – The fi rst signifi cant study of

how the No Child Left Behind Act is infl uencing instructional time and professional development.

• California – 50 Percent Drop in Music Students During Last Five Years. Music for All’s groundbreaking report The Sound of Silence - The Unprecedented Decline of Music Edu-cation in California Public Schools uncov-ers a 50 percent decline in student participation in music.

• An Unfi nished Canvas – The 2007 Report on Arts Education in Cali-fornia reinforces Sound of Silence fi ndings.

• Withing Our Power: The Report on Arts Education in New Jersey – Music for All’s landmark study on arts education in every New Jersey School. The report is the fi nal work of the New Jersey Arts Education Census Project.

We have more reports on the way so keep checking back to this link!

CreativityMore and more people are taking

about arts education and creativity. There are several tools available to you to help make this case.

• Tough Choices of Tough Times – The Report of the New Commis-sion on the Skills of the American Workforce, from the National Cen-ter on Education and the Econo-my.

• Creativity, Education and the Arts – My interview with the world-re-nowned creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson.

• Beyond the Three Rs Voter Atti-tudes toward 21st Century Skills – Partnership for 21st Century Skills poll on what America is looking for from our students.

• Ready to Innovate: Are Educators and Executives Aligned on the Cre-

ative Readiness of the U.S. Work-force? A new study on the attitudes of American business executives and public school superintendents toward creativity and innovation.

• Music Manifesto – England’s out-line for restoring music education

• The Imagination Voter – The “Soc-cer Moms” of 1996 become the new Imagination Voter for the 2008 election cycle! This new re-port from the Arts Education Part-nership, NAMM and others show-cases the creativity and imagination as a campaign issue.

• The Arts Are Vital to Young Peo-ple's Success in School – Susan Sclafani, former assistant secretary for vocational and adult education in the U.S. Department of Educa-tion, discussed how learning in and through the arts is central to fulfi ll-ing the No Child Left Behind Act’s goal of improved student achieve-ment. This is from the Education Commission of the States.

ScienceThe age old argument – do we

teach music for music’s sake or do we teach music for the non-musical ben-efi ts provided to children – continues today. My belief is neither point is cor-rect. We teach music for the intrinsic value music provides to our students and for the extra musical benefi ts. They go hand in hand. To try to sepa-rate these two concepts is impossible. With that out of the way, here are two sources for the most compelling work looking at music and cognitive devel-opment:

• Learning, Arts and the Brain – The Dana Consortium’s ground break-ing 2008 report on Arts and Cogni-tion. It is a must read for any per-

“It is up to each of us in music educa-tion to both make the case and empow-er others to become effective advocates for our programs.”

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son interested in learning about the powerful impact of music on brain development.

• Quick Facts - A quick reference of some of the most relevant factoids, research and polling to support mu-sic and arts education.

Surveys, Polls, and Data• Music Makes You… MONEY!

– Harris Interactive poll showing an education in music is associated with higher incomes.

• Music Makes You… Succeed in Business! – Harris Interactive poll analyzing the effects of music edu-cation on top Fortune 1000 com-pany executives.

• 21st Century Learning Skills – A nationwide poll of registered voters reveals that Americans are deeply concerned that the United States is not preparing young people with the skills they need to compete in the global economy

Their Own WordsNothing works better than being

able to use the words of infl uential individuals and organizations to help make the case for the importance of music and arts education. Do you have a principal that doesn’t understand music education? Share an article from the National Association of El-ementary and Secondary School Prin-cipals. Have a problem with a superin-tendent? How about something from the American Association of School Administrators? Having trouble with a school board member? There is plenty of information from the Na-tional School Boards Association to help you make the case. National PTA, Presidential candidate comments, and other resources are all useful tools for you to use as surrogates to make your case. Here are some of my favorites:

• Talk Isn't Cheap – My February 2008 column on why what the Presidential candidates say on the campaign trail will impact the fu-ture of music education in our na-

tion and the candidates’ comments to prove that point.

• Mike Huckabee on Arts Education – YouTube video to link, post, email and share!

• Americans for the Arts Action Cen-ter – A collection of statements from the 2008 Presidential candi-dates.

• The Arts at K12's Center Stage – The American Association of School Administrators April 2008 Maga-zine dedicated to arts education. In-cluding Why the Arts Deserve Cen-ter Stage, Bucking Trends, Creating a Brighter Workforce with the Arts and Creating a Whole New World

• Harris Poll of Principals Regarding Music Education – Harris Interac-tive poll on principals’ attitudes to-ward music education.

• Governors, State Education Policy Leaders Urged to Move Arts Educa-tion to the Center of the Education Debate – The Education Commis-sion of the States Chairman’s email to all Governors and state educa-tion policy leaders making a strong and passionate case for bringing arts education to the center of the education debate.

• Get Your Own! Can you get state-ments of support from people who would be infl uential in your ownstate or community? Give it a try!

Testimonials• What Music Really Means – A

collection of powerful testimoni-als about how one music program transformed so many lives.

• Our Cause Is Our Name – This YouTube video created by Music for All making the case for music education... through the words of some unexpected people.

TechnologyHow do you use technology to pro-

mote your music program? Web sites?

“an impressive step-up flute for a young player.”

~ Trevor Wye

for the growing flutist

a z u m i f l u t e s . c o ma product of altus handmade flutes

™

10Years

SBO_18 18 7/1/08 4:25:35 PM

www.azumiflutes.com

School Band and Orchestra, July 2008 19

Blogs? Podcasts? Widgets? YouTube? Newsfeeds? Sprouts? The new tools developed for the Web and for social networking are tools you can use to help promote and advocate for your program. Here are just a few ideas (with samples on the Web page):

• Widgets/Sprouts – These little snip-pets of code may be added to any Web site, blog, or social network. Use one of ours or create your own! Your students will love these (and you will gain some “tech cred” in the process (that stands for Tech-nology Credibility… it’s street cred for the tech set).

• Newsfeeds – This stream of infor-mation provides content for web-sites from reliable sources. We have created the following just for you:

• Headline News – The latest news in music and arts educa-tion.

• Advocacy Resource Feeds – The most current tools.

• Critical Document Feeds – The latest reports promoting music and arts education

• Advocacy Factoids – A complete stream of facts and fi gures to help make your case.

• YouTube – Do you use YouTube to promote your program and create video for your site? You should. Look on our Web site for some ideas how!

• PowerPoint Style Presentations – Be-fore every concert or event down-load and customize our handy dan-dy presentation to run on a screen while people enter your event. This is a quick, concise, presentation of the case for how music benefi ts all students.

• Concert Inserts – Download and customize this concert program in-sert for use with any of your con-certs, programs or events.

Tool KitThe one item that belongs in the

arsenal of every music educator is the

SupportMusic Community Action Kit. This “Tool Kit” for the music advocate has a wealth of tools and materials in customizable formats to use in your community. Whether you are just start-ing your local advocacy campaign or fi nd yourself in a crisis and need help to organizing your efforts… the Support-Music Community Action Kit is the one tool you cannot afford to be without!

ConclusionSo there you have it: a complete

guide of the tools we use to help pro-mote and advocate for music and arts education all around the country for your use in the coming school year. You will never use all of these items at the same time. Pick those items that will be most effective with the audi-ence you are addressing. Within this list is something for everyone.

So remember, it is up to each of us in music education to both make the case and empower others to become effective advocates for our programs. Like I wrote at the top of this article: If we don’t… who will?

Think about it.

Do you have a tool o resource you would like to share? E-mail Bob direct-ly at [email protected] and he will include it on his Web page (musicforall.org/Resources/Advocacy/tools.aspx).

Bob Morrison is the executive vice president and chairman emeritus of Music for All Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

™

for the growing flutist

a z u m i f l u t e s . c o ma product of altus handmade flutes

SBO_19 19 7/1/08 4:25:42 PM

www.azumiflutes.com

UpClose: Susan Waters

Making Band the

“Thing to Do”20 School Band and Orchestra, July 2008

by Eliahu Sussman

10Years

SBO_20 20 7/1/08 4:26:37 PM

For the past 20 years, Susan Waters has made a career of

building up band programs. Every

middle school or high school en-

semble she’s taken over has seen a marked in-

crease in participation and musical achievement.


SBO_21 21 7/1/08 4:26:43 PM


Now only a stone’s throw from where she fi rst picked up the clarinet so many years ago, Susan is creating a legacy at the newly-constructed W. H. Oliver Middle School in Nashville, Tennessee.

What exactly is involved in the pro-cess of more than doubling the num-ber of students in band, as was the case at Hunters Lane High School? Or starting a brand new program with only seven students on day one, fi nish-ing the year with 75, and three years later having over 250, or 40 percent of the approximately 600 students in the school enrolled in band classes, as has happened at Oliver Middle School?

In this recent SBO interview, Susan Waters talks about the progression of circumstances that has lead to her making band the “thing to do” at ev-ery stop in her educational career.

School Band & Orchestra: Tell me about how you started in music?

Susan Waters: I started playing the clarinet when I joined beginning band in fi fth grade. It was something I had never really thought about doing prior – there wasn’t anybody musical in my family. It just seemed like the thing to do, so I signed up and joined, and that’s where I stayed.

SBO: From there, would you mind briefl y detailing the ensembles you played in?

SW: I played all the way through high school, concert band and march-

ing band. I played with lots of cham-ber ensembles and a youth symphony in high school.

SBO: When did you decide you wanted to be a band director?

SW: Right in middle school, seventh or eighth grade, is when I decided that being a band director was something I wanted to do. I had a female band director at the time, so she made it seem very possible for me. Of course, back then there weren’t very many

lady band directors around, I just hap-pened to have one of them. In all like-lihood, if I’d had a male band director, I wouldn’t have pursued this fi eld.

I continued on and did my undergrad at Middle Tennessee State University and went right on into graduate school in Western Kentucky University. I spent two years there. Then I started teaching.

SBO: How’d your fi rst teaching op-portunity come about?

SW: I was about a week away from the lease running out on my apartment and I hadn’t been able to fi nd a job. I had applied to so many different schools, in-cluding Christian County Middle School, where they had an opening, and I was of-fered a position there at the last minute.

I had tried to come back to Nash-ville, the system I teach in now, but I couldn’t get into the Nashville Public Schools.

SBO: What was it about teaching music that initially drew you into the fi eld?

SW: I had a pretty troubled child-hood and being in band was a very good escape, a very good therapy for me. It made me feel safe when my home life wasn’t very safe. When I

decided I wanted to teach, I suppose it was because band had had such a big impact on my life personally, so I wanted to create that opportunity for other children.

SBO: Tell me a little bit about your experiences at the Christian County Middle School?

SW: I taught there for nine years. When I came in, I replaced a band di-rector who had been there for a long time. There were maybe 70 kids in the band when I arrived. When I left, there were over 200.

We were able to travel around and compete across the southern United States. I guess you could say I cut my teeth on that program.

SBO: What specifi cally did you do in order to grow the bands there?

SW: I made band the thing to do. It hadn’t been the thing to do there, but I made it the thing to do. I was young and energetic, coming right out of college, and I related to the kids very well. They enjoyed being in my class. It spread through the school that there was a young energetic person run-ning the band program. I’d replaced a rather… “older” person, so it just attracted the kids to the band and we had fun. We built up a level of success, and then success bred success, and it just snowballed.

SBO: And from there you moved on to Hunters Lane High School?

SW: Hunters Lane is in Nashville. Because this is where I grew up, I al-ways knew that I wanted to come back

“My students are excited about learn-ing and about being [in band], so I feed off of that.”

10Years

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SBO_23 23 7/1/08 4:18:33 PM

www.epntravel.com

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here. I had been the assistant band director at Christian County High School while I was teaching at the middle school, so I had been writing for the marching band and dealing with the high school groups in some capacity for nine years. It was a natural progression to go from there to having my own high school group.

Hunters Lane is in a very economi-cally challenged part of Nashville and it was kind of an under-populated band. I came in and built it up in four years to about 130 people when I left. There were only about 50 when I got there.

While I was there, I did a lot of recruiting, a lot of re-teaching because the feeder schools weren’t that strong. I made band the thing to do.

SBO: When you say you “made band the thing to do,” sure there are abstract concepts like enthusi-asm and energy –

SW: It’s about putting out the best possible product with what you have to work with.

SBO: What were you doing to re-cruit students?

SW: I was going to the middle schools and recruiting with those di-rectors and their kids. I would take the high school bands with me to do very elaborate recruiting shows – almost theatrical in nature. The idea was to make band appear “cool” to the stu-dents, to make it very visually appeal-

ing. Kids today are very visually stimu-lated, so we use lots of bright colors, lots of movement, lots of things that will keep their interest visually and get them thinking, “Wow, that looks real-ly cool to do” – without the emphasis necessarily on playing the instruments. At that stage, it was just about getting bodies into the classroom. I knew that I’d be able to teach them to play, but making band the thing to do is just about maximizing what you have and putting together the best possible product – getting them to perform better than they actually are. And then that seeps into the non-band population. Other students think, “Wow, they’re just so successful over there in that band room. That looks really cool. I want to do that.”

Hunters Lane High School had over 2,000 students, so the 100 or so that I had was only a very small percentage of the student population. We were able to get some kids to join who had never been in band before. They were great kids and great students, they just had never really had the op-portunity and never thought about joining our class. It was a matter of putting that prod-uct out there in front of them

so they could see it and think it might be something that they could do – and something they might have fun doing.

SBO: And eventually you moved on from there?

SW: Yes, I moved on from Hunters Lane to Head Magnet School. I missed

W.H. Oliver Middle School at-a-GlanceLocation: 6211 Nolensville Road, Nashville, Tenn.On the Web: www.oliverms.mnps.orgStudent Enrollment: 580Grades Served: 5-8Founded: 2004

Oliver Band Program Awards/Honors:2004-2005 • 83 Superior Solo and Ensemble medals

from MTSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival

2005-2006 • 117 Superior Solo and Ensemble medals

from MTSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival• Superior Ratings in Concert and Sight Read-

ing at MTSBOA Concert Festival (Advanced Band)

• Tennessee Bandmaster's Association Sweepstakes Award

• 1st Place and Grand Champion Concert Band at Kentucky Kingdom Music Festival (Advanced Band)

2006-2007 • Opening Concert Band performance for

NMSA Conference at Opryland Hotel• 93 Superior Solo and Ensemble medals

from MTSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival (Int. and Advanced Bands)

• Superior Ratings in Concert and Sight Read-ing at MTSBOA Concert Festival

• Tennessee Bandmaster's Association Sweepstakes Award

• 1st Place Concert Band and overall Grand Champion at Kings Island Music Festival (Advanced Band)

• 1st Place Concert Band at Kentucky King-dom Music Festival (Intermediate Band)

2007-2008 • 79 Superior Solo and Ensemble medals

from MTSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival• Superior Ratings in Concert and Sight Read-

ing at MTSBOA Concert Festival• Participation in TMEA State Concert Festival• Tennessee Bandmaster's Association

Sweepstakes Award• 1st Place Jazz Band and Concert Band and

overall Grand Champion at St. Louis Music Festival (Advanced Band)

• 1st Place and Grand Champion Concert Band at Dollywood Music Festival (Interme-diate Band)

SBO_25 25 7/1/08 4:26:55 PM


teaching middle school. I missed hav-ing a room full of kids that didn’t know anything about music and had never been in band before, and mak-ing them wonderful. I missed the in-teraction with the younger kids.

SBO: Like the feeling of being the ini-tial presenter of the musical world?

SW: Right. At Hunters Lane, I was getting a lot of kids that couldn’t play very well, even though they’d already had four years of band. They knew more things not to do than things to do, so I had to teach them to unlearn mistakes or bad habits. They were great kids, and I enjoyed my time there, I just really missed having the younger crew. With the younger bands, I really felt like I was making a difference ev-eryday. I’d hear kids saying, “I got it! I couldn’t get it yesterday, but I prac-ticed last night and I got it today!”

I missed having those moments while I was teaching at the high school level. So I stayed at Head for four years. They were building Oliver Middle School at the time, and when that opened I was

asked to go and start up a band pro-gram from scratch over there.

SBO: Tell me about your experi-ences at Oliver Middle School?

SW: It’s been great. There was a very enthusiastic school opening, but I only had about seven kids that very fi rst day of beginning band. By the end of the fi rst year we got that up to 75 kids. And now, four years later, we’re at over 250. I have an assistant band di-rector now, and the school population is just around 600, so we have about 40 percent of the school in band.

SBO: That’s pretty incredible.

SW: Yes, band’s become the thing to do.

SBO: Again, “the thing to do.” What do you hope to see happen at your school in the near future?

SW: Future goals, I want to bring the groups to be able to perform more on the national level. I have some per-sonal goals for my performing groups that I haven’t reached yet, but we’re working towards them. Basically, for

four years we’ve created three different band levels and we’ve started traveling around and competing – we’ve com-peted in Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia, and Ohio – and we’ve been very suc-cessful, receiving superior ratings. We recently branched out to include a jazz band, which was one of the goals that I was just able to check off.

We’re recording the bands right and left, doing auditions, and trying to become a higher quality ensemble that can get as much national exposure as possible.

SBO: When the kids move on from your ensembles and classes, what is it that you hope they take with them?

SW: I hope that they take a love of playing with them and a devotion to the ensemble – being a team member, essentially. I hope they take a sense of pride and accomplishment and always remember the wonderful opportuni-ties that they’ve had. I hope they can take with them all of those lessons that they’ve learned in their time with me

10Years

SBO_26 26 7/1/08 4:27:02 PM

www.chopsaver.com


– wherever they end, whether that’s band, engineering, or the medical fi elds. I try to relate band to real life. When we go on stage at a concert, we present ourselves like we were having a job interview: eye contact, good pos-ture, dressed neatly, uniform appear-ance within the group.

When we perform solos or duets, we actually write speeches for the judges so that our students can get used to talking to people in an in-terview-type setting. We talk about image and presentation – things be-yond the musical presentation. So hopefully, those students that don’t

end up pursuing music (and most of them don’t past high school, but that’s fine, it’s perfectly normal) will take some of those lessons they learned – how to communicate, present an image – and all of those little things that I try to instill in them.

“We built up a level of success, and then success bred success, and it just snowballed.”

SBO_27 27 7/1/08 4:27:08 PM

www.petersontuners.com


SBO: You’ve been teaching for just about 20 years now. What have you done to keep everything fresh in the classroom, to keep yourself motivated and every day a new day?

SW: I think being around the younger kids helps me stay young and energetic in the classroom. That, and I always remember that even though I’ve done essentially 20 be-ginning bands, every beginning band I have, that’s the fi rst time these kids are doing it. So I always remember that this is the fi rst time for them, even if it’s the 20th time for me. It’d be very easy to say, “Okay, yeah, do this, do that, this is how you play the instrument, your fi ngers go here,” but the excitement that they have, and I always remember that it is their fi rst time, is what excites me. My students are excited about learn-ing and about being there, so I feed off of that.

SBO: Are there any other tips or tricks that you’ve picked up to avoid so-called “burnout”?

SW: I think the biggest thing I can tell people is to get your students to have ownership in the program. It’s their program; it’s not your program. Whatever way you can fi nd to get the kids to buy into it, whether that’s through student leadership or student input, or discussing the music that we play – not that I let them decided the literature, but we talk about why we play certain things, why we have a va-riety of music that we play (“we are doing this music for this reason, or that piece for that reason”) – it is so important to give them some owner-ship in the program. They feel like it’s theirs, and they feel like they belong to something. It creates a very strong hold emotionally and that’s impor-tant, especially for middle school kids. Life can be so treacherous for kids of that age group.

Also, it makes my job a lot easier when the students have ownership in the program. I don’t have to constantly try to convince them why we’re doing what we’re doing. They trust me that I’m leading them in the right direction and feel like their opinions and feel-ings are important.

For f ifty years our secrets have been locked.

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10Years

SBO_28 28 7/1/08 4:27:15 PM

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BY RICK KESSEL

While we are proud to have pro-fi led many legendary musicians in-cluding Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, Keith Lockhart, Wynton Marsalis, Erich Kunzel, Richard Stoltzman, Vic Firth and many others, the majority of SBO’s cover stories are intentionally dedicated to the hard working, suc-cessful high school, middle school, and college directors who have provided insight into launching, enhancing, and

growing music programs. We’ve taken the opportunity in this July issue to celebrate and thank the scores of di-rectors, musicians, advertisers, busi-ness partners, and associations that have enabled us to grow into the suc-cessful publication that we are today.

In the beginning, SBO was pub-lished six times per year and has, over the course of time, increased to thir-teen issues, including the exclusive

College Search & Career Guide for Music Students. SBO has become a conduit for music educators to com-municate to their peers in a variety of ways, including profi les on successful directors, technique articles, surveys, specialty reports, and so much more. To date we’ve placed 500 educators in our annual “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” report, and we’ve fea-tured scores of directors on our covers

If you were to develop a blueprint for how to build a successful school music program, the

fi rst thing you would do is talk to a variety of people who had successfully accomplished

this feat and include their ideas and plans in a format that is graphically exciting, editorially

interesting, and widely distributed. That is how School Band & Orchestra magazine was

conceived and how it developed over the past ten years to become the leading music education

magazine for school band and orchestra directors.

10Yearsof Serving Music Educators

SBO_30 30 7/1/08 4:29:46 PM

Paul M. AlbertaSBO March/April, 1998

“Ten years ago, I was the fi rst cover story for School Band and Orchestra. That was an unbelievable honor for me. It certainly marked the beginning of an incredible success story for SBO. It has become one of the most well read music education publications in the nation. The feature articles, in fact all of the articles, are insightful and are a tremendous help to not only young teachers, but veterans, as well. The magazine continues to get better and better with each publication.

“In regards to my own music edu-cation career, I retired from teaching high school in 2001. Since that point, I have gotten back into private teaching again. Working with young students in a private lesson setting and watching them grow as musicians and as peo-ple has been wonderful. I teach les-sons at Stoughton (Mass.), Medfi eld (Mass.), King Philip Regional (Wren-tham, Mass.), and Norwood (Mass.) High Schools. I also do many clinics for concert bands, marching bands, jazz ensembles, and chamber groups throughout New England. I guest con-

duct throughout the nation. I adju-dicate for national festivals such as Festivals Of Mu-sic, Rhythms In-ternational, Great East Festivals, Music in the Parks, University of New Hamp-shire Clarke Terry Jazz Fes-tival, State and

regional Jazz festivals, USSBA, New England Scholastic Band As-sociation and Mass. In-strumental and Choral Conductors Association. I am also on the board of overseers for The Boston Conservatory.

“Although I am re-tired, as you can see, I’ve stayed close to music education. It is the most rewarding and wonderful thing that a young person can do. The best students are those in music.”

Ann ClemmonsSBO January, 2000

“My husband (also a school band director) and I both retired in 2002. The school music program has changed, due to re-districting and NCLB, and instrumental music now doesn’t be-gin until the fi fth grade. We continue to give private lessons and conduct a local youth symphony. My husband conducts two youth jazz band and the church choir. I work with a children’s orchestra and a weekly ‘fi ddle club.’

“I remember when my school fi rst started receiving SBO. I was thrilled that orchestra was included! While I was teaching, I often read the articles and enjoyed the advice.

Dave BellisSBO June, 2002

“In the time since I was featured in

SBO, things have moved along pretty much the same as always – my bands have maintained their excellence. But after 34 years in music education,

I retired this May. I will continue to operate the Wyoming High School All-State Marching Band (ev-ery other year) and hope to go back to the Rose Parade in 2011. Educa-tional Discovery Tours has decided that my travel experience with student groups would benefi t their company, so I will be representing

and working part-time for them beginning this September.

“I enjoy SBO very much because it is a publication that speaks with the regular band people out there. Over time, the magazine has maintained its excellence. I wouldn’t change a thing!

“In particular, I always appreciate any article about directors offering their kids outside-of-the-classroom experiences, especially travel. The surveys are also very interesting, as are the comments by directors about different subjects that we all see hap-pen in our programs. Wise advice from experienced directors should be noted by young directors and used when applicable to their programs.”


to help expose their methods for suc-cess, understand their backgrounds, and uncover how they handle often diffi cult situations.

Our company, Symphony Publish-ing, is committed to the music edu-cation arena and has grown beyond SBO to include CD – Choral Director

magazine, JAZZed – the jazz educators magazine, JazzPlayer.com – the so-cial networking site for jazz musicians and educators, the SBO essay contest, which has generated tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money for mu-sic students, and e-newsletters and Web sites for each of these publications.

As we continue to look for new and innovative ways to provide a means of communication among music educators and students we encourage you to let us know your thoughts and suggestions. We look forward to serving you for many years to come!

SBO_31 31 7/1/08 4:29:52 PM

December 2000: Itzhak Perlman“It’s a fantastic thing to see how kids get along with each other speaking an international language, which is music.”

December 2001: Keith Lockhart“I get letters all the time from kids saying,

‘I really want to be a conductor’ or ‘You’re one of the big reasons I want to go into music.’

There’s no nicer compliment than that.”


Brushes with GreatnessIn addition to profi ling numerous deserving music educators, over the past decade SBO has had the pleasure of chatting with a handful of high-profi le musicians and industry fi gures. Such luminaries as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Wynton Marsa-lis have shared their own experiences as music scholars and instructors and offered thoughts on the state of music education in our schools.

December 1999: Michael Greene“I don’t care whether it’s Mozart or if it’s Snoop Dogg, there are things inherent in all forms of music that can be pulled out and used to invigorate kids.”

December 2002: Wynton Marsalis“I think all schools should have jazz bands.

[Jazz] teaches us to be American in the best sense.”

10Years

SBO_32 32 7/1/08 4:29:58 PM

December 2004: Vic Firth

“The band director today has a much

bigger job than, say, when my

father was working.”


March 2006: Yo-Yo Ma“The whole point of music is very simple. It’s about coding the things that are very diffi cult to say — very intimate things, very passionate things, exciting things: all kinds of emotions — some contradictory, some that can’t even be expressed in words.”

March 2005: Maria Schneider“If somebody wants to be a great musician, they have to have that quality, that focus, that passion. Play every time like it’s your last, like you really care.”

December 2006: Edgar Meyer

“Even if music doesn’t end up being

the central or pro-fessional focus of

a person’s life, the process of learning

music is still vital to development.”

1998-2008

10 Years & Counting

SBO_33 33 7/1/08 4:30:04 PM


10Yearsof Serving Music Educators

SBO_34 34 7/1/08 4:31:07 PM


1998-2008

10 Years & Counting

SBO_35 35 7/1/08 4:31:31 PM


J uly, 2008 marks the completion of

the eighth annual School Band &

Orchestra Music Students Scholar-

ship essay contest, co-sponsored by

NAMM, Alfred Publishing, Hershey Fund Raising, Yama-

ha Corporation of America, and Avedis Zildjian. The fi rst essay contest was launched by SBO in 2001 with the primary

goal of supporting music educators and rewarding music students for their participation in school music programs. Designed to create aware-ness of important themes in music education, the topics have shifted over the years from very basic – “My Favorite Instrument,” and “My Favorite Composer” – to more thought-provoking subjects related to music advo-cacy and the benefi ts of music education, like 2007’s “How My School Music Program Contributes to the Quality of My Life.”

To date, $160,000 in scholarships and music products have been awarded to 72 school music programs (and one home-schooled student) in 35 states. Several schools have fi elded multiple winning student es-says, including Irving Middle School (Irving, Colo.), Williamsburg Mid-dle School (Arlington, Va.), Marshall Middle School, (Marshall, Va.), and Arlington Middle School (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.). Other schools, such as the St. Andrews Middle School (Charlston, S.C.) and San Manuel Junior/Senior High School (San Manuel, Ariz.) have used the essay contest as an opportunity to incorporate assignments from the music department into English and social studies classes, creating a synergistic learning (and teaching) experience.

The topic of the 2008 essay, “Dear Mr. President, I Am Writing to Tell You Why Music Is So Important to My Complete Education,” inspired over 10,000 entrants from all 50 states and several foreign countries. This year’s 10 winning selections come from children between the ages of 12 and 17 (sixth through 12th grade) in nine different states.

2008

EssayWinners

SBOReport: Essay Contest

Jordan DeBordOwsley County High SchoolBooneville, Ky.Grade: 12Age: 17

Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why music

is so important to my complete edu-cation. I live in Owsley County, Ken-tucky, one of the poorest counties in the United States (as reported by 60 Minutes) and there is very little for the youth in our community to do. But three years ago, our high school principal started a music program called “Kids on Stage” at our high school. Since we did not have a band or an orchestra at our school, the Kids on Stage program has given ev-ery student a chance to be involved in music by playing an instrument, sing-ing, learning to use recording equip-ment, stage lighting and much more. Thanks to the Kids on Stage program, I now play lead guitar and bass guitar in two different bands and recently performed for the East Regional Governor’s Conference. Music has opened doors for me and my friends that we didn’t know were possible. As I graduate and continue my educa-tion, I know that music will continue to be a big part of my life.

10Years

SBO_36 36 7/1/08 4:33:14 PM


sMichelle L. ZintLexington High SchoolLexington, S.C.Grade: 12Age: 17

Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why music is

so important to my complete education. I am currently a senior in high school, and I am ranked sixth in my class and have been named a National Merit Semifi nal-ist. I attribute these successes largely to the presence of music in my education.

I have been a member of my school’s orchestra for six years now, and the skills and life lessons I have acquired through this participation have not only played a large part in my success in school, but I am sure that they will continue to be invaluable for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned self-discipline: the days when I have to force myself to sacrifi ce my time and practice have cultivated in me the ability to complete essays and other school assignments when I would much rather procrastinate.

I’ve learned motivation: the drive to work out a diffi cult passage of music in order to have a fl awless performance has similarly appeared in my school-work, pushing me to do everything to the best of my ability so that I can be proud of the fi nal product.

I’ve learned teamwork: the commu-nication, critique, and commitment that are required in orchestras and especially smaller ensembles are also necessary for any group project or partner exercise that I encounter in the classroom.

Music has granted me these char-acteristics and so many more, and my classroom successes are proof of its incredible advantages and defi nite im-portance to education.

Kyle SteinkerchnerWadsworth High SchoolWadsworth, OhioGrade: 12Age: 17


is so important to my complete educa-tion. I have played the alto saxophone

since the 5th grade. Although I wasn’t always willing to practice in the begin-ning years, I developed a love for music since and have sat fi rst chair throughout high school. I have learned numerous life lessons while playing in the band like patience, perseverance, and time man-agement. While memorizing our march-ing band music and drills, I challenged myself everyday. While playing college level music in symphonic band, the chal-lenges continue.

I made several close friends in the course of high school, many of which are in band. We spent numerous hours together working on relationships, dealing with adversity, celebrating little victories, and strengthening our weaknesses to be the best we can be.

Having music in my life has made me a better person. I am able to use all the skills I learned and apply them to all my classes and in my everyday life. I have taken several Honors and AP courses, while enduring a rigorous band schedule, and still maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA.

When I get frustrated, I take some time and play my saxophone (or guitar) to clear my thoughts. I use the time man-agement skills I learned to plan ahead on school projects. Music has positively prepared me for college and for life. I truly believe it should be a part of every-one’s high school experience.

Issac ZuckermanSouth High SchoolMinneapolis, Minn.Grade: 11Age: 16

Dear Mr. President,I am writing to tell you why music

is so important to my complete educa-

tion. I believe that band is not merely an elective, but a course that teaches people how to live together. Literally and metaphorically, music is simply another language, but more. It teaches teamwork, leadership, open-minded-ness, respect, and mostly, joy.

In a band, music is not the only beauty being produced. Each section and member has his or her own re-sponsibility. The woodwinds provide the moving melody while the horns provide the supportive backgrounds. Brass gives rich harmonies; percussion is the backbone. The soloist enriches his or her colleagues by creating ideas formed by the group’s ability to gener-ate what is now wonderful music.

Each section of a band uses team-work by functioning as one and doing its idiosyncratic job, be it melody, har-mony, rhythm or chord structure. Each member of the band shows leadership merely by participating and playing confi dently, which verifi es the articu-lations and dynamics that the piece is striving to portray. Every soloist sum-mons the courage to construct his or her own work of art. Whether a solo is created in front of thousands of people, four people, or no one else, it is still unique, original, and one of the most illustrious forms of music making.

Everyone respects their fellow mu-sicians because they are playing to-gether and listening to—not just hear-ing—the band’s components. And true musicians will gain the bets part: joy.

Music is necessary for my educa-tion because ultimately it teaches me,

Nancy Groth-Kersten of Groth Music Co., Bloomington, Minn. with winner Isaac Zucker-man and his music teacher, Scott Carter.

L-R: Wadsworth High School assistant director of bands, Dana Hire; Kyle Steinkerchner; and Steve Hadgis, Wadsworth High School director of bands.

SBO_37 37 7/1/08 4:33:19 PM


WashingtonAuburn High School, Auburn.Garfi eld High School, SeattleKalama High School, KalamaSumner Middle School, Sumner

IdahoJefferson Elementary School, Boise

NebraskaLux Middle School, LincolnMarian High School, Omaha

IowaHarding Middle School, Cedar RapidsSpirit Lake Middle School, Spirit Lake

MinnesotaRamsey Junior High School, St. PaulSouth High School, Minneapolis

WisconsinHayward High School, HaywardSouth High School, WaukeshaWatertown High School, Watertown

MissouriDoniphan High School, Doniphan

TexasNederland High School, NederlandTemple High School, Temple

OklahomaMidwest City High School, Midwest City

KansasAugusta Middle School, AugustaBlue Valley North High School, Overland ParkHaysville Middle School, Haysville

ColoradoIrving Middle School, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2x)

ArizonaDardanelle High School, DardanelleHorizon High School, Scottsdale

CaliforniaCollege Park High School, Pleasant HillColton High School, ColtonHenry M. Gunn High School, Palo AltoMuirlands Middle School, La Jolla

NevadaErnest Becker Middle School, Las Vegas

UtahPleasant Grove High School, Pleasant Grove

South DakotaCovenant Home Academy (homeschool), Eureka

Years in existence: 8Total Scholarships Awarded: 77Value of Scholarships & Prizes Awarded: $160,000

Total Number of States: 35Total Number of Schools: 72Stats:

Winning Schools:

SBO Essay Contest At a Glance

SBO_38 38 7/1/08 4:33:26 PM


IllinoisAuburn Jr. High School, AuburnGlenside Middle School, Glendale HeightsGrayslake North High School, GrayslakeMcCracken Middle School, SkokieWaubonsie Valley High School, Aurora

MichiganPortage Central High School, Portage

IndianaCarmel High School, Carmel

OhioMcComb High School, McCombWadsworth High School, Wadsworth

VermontCamels Hump Middle School, Richmond

New HampshireLondonderry High School, LondonderryPinkerton Academy, Derry

MassachusettsDennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, South YarmouthLakeview Jr. High School, DracutNauset Regional High School, EasthamPhillips Academy, Andover

New YorkAmherst Central High School, AmherstArlington Middle School, Poughkeepsie (2x)Lake Shore Central Senior High School, Angola

ConnecticutBailey Middle School, West HavenLincoln Middle School, Meriden

PennsylvaniaHughesville High School, HughesvilleMansfi eld High School, Mansfi eldNewtown Middle School, Newtown

MarylandCentennial High School, Ellicott CityUrbana High School, Ijamsville

New JerseyWashington Township High School, Sewell

VirginiaMarshall Middle School, Marshall (2x)Ocean Lakes School, Virginia BeachWilliamsburg Middle School, Arlington (3x)

KentuckyMeyzeek Middle School, Louisville Owsley County High School, Booneville

North CarolinaEast Hoke Middle School, RaefordGrey Culberth Middle School, Chapel Hill

South CarolinaLexington High School, LexingtonSpring Valley High School, ColumbiaSt. Andrew’s Middle School, Charleston

GeorgiaFive Forks Middle School, Lawrenceville

TennesseeLoftis Middle School, HixsonMadison Creek Elementary School, Goodlettsville

MississippiHazlehurst Middle School, Hazlehurst

Of Note:• Benjamin and Brian Lei of Arlington

Middle School (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) are the only siblings to both submit winning essays.

• Williamsburg Middle School (Arlington, Va.) is the only school to produce three winning essays. With six winning essay submissions, Virginia has received more scholarships than any other state.

• In 2005, 17-year-old Laura Clark of Eureka, S.D. became the fi rst home-schooled student to submit a scholarship-winning essay.

SBO_39 39 7/1/08 4:33:31 PM


and my fellow musicians, nothing less than co-existence.

Jiaan BurfordDoniphan High SchoolDoniphan, Mo.Grade: 9Age: 14

Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why music is

so important to my complete education. I feel music helps us to communicate better with others. Music is a language all understand. In music we learn that through hard work we can master a skill and achieve success. It also teaches us the benefi ts of teamwork to achieve goals.

When you play an instrument you have to change the rhythm, tempo and tone on a continuing basis. This helps you become good at organizing and paying better attention to details. When we take these skills and apply them to our other classes, we have the benefi t of better work habits and this leads to better grades.

By being involved in music through band I have learned to not be afraid to take risks and try new things. Music makes me think. It challenges me to work harder not only in band but in my other classes as well. Music has helped me be more self-confi dent. It has in-creased my feelings of self-worth. I have a lot more confi dence in my abilities. Music helps you to understand people and cultures. It has a way of bringing people together. Music has been a part of our culture for many years. It soothes feelings and clears the minds. Music is about communication, cooperation and creativity. If we study music we can en-rich these skills, and in this way we be-come better citizens and hopefully build a better world in which to live.

Maria KonidarisFive Forks Middle SchoolLawrenceville, Ga.Grade: 8Age: 14

Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why mu-

sic is important to my complete edu-

cation. Music helps develop physical enhancements, like hand eye coordi-nation, refi ned motor coordination, multi-tasking, and listening skills. Music also helps brain enhancements. Self-discipline, patience, details, effort, and respect are only a few. Community awareness is another thing affected by music. Music helps group effort and cooperation and community involve-ment. Music helps me in science, be-cause it helps me understand pitch and sound. Music helps me mostly in lan-guage arts with visual training, reading skills, eye tracking and actual reading time. Studies have proven that kids that play an instrument or have some musical class score higher on tests.

Luz Tur-Sinai GozalMeyzeek Middle SchoolLouisville, Ky.Grade: 8Age: 13


is so important to complete my educa-tion. One year and a half ago, I had to leave behind my fi st violin—my dear-est friend. You see, my mother and I were about to start a new life leaving Spain to become residents in the United States. Sooner than I had imagined, I was attending both orchestra and band classes at Meyzeek Middle School. No tears or regrets since then.

I speak four different languages and the more I play, the more I understand why music is the real universal language. There is no need for a passport to cross boundaries, just the willingness of enjoy-ing new frontiers. I fi rmly believe that pursuing my musical education will en-able me to master any cultural challenge.

I am presently in the process of de-ciding a path for my future education and I want music to be “the” part of it. I know that music is helping me to become the responsible, positive, and sharing adult I want to be.

Alana HuxLux Middle SchoolLincoln, Neb.Grade: 7Age: 12


is so important to my complete educa-tion. Music has been essential to my well-being throughout pre-school, el-ementary school, and middle school.

When my mother adopted me from a Chinese orphanage, I was almost three and did not know English. Because my mother did not speak Chinese, we needed a means of communicating not requiring the mutual understand-ing of words. Our fi rst connection was through music. Songs helped me learn English and, more importantly, helped me feel comfortable and loved.

L-R: Bill Bucher, principal (Lux Middle School); Tim Pratt, president, Dietze Music, Lincoln, Neb.; Darcie Olsen, Band Instrument dept. mgr., Dietze Music; Alana Hux, scholarship winner; Del Whitman, orchestra director (Lux Middle School); Bill Roehrs, string specialist (Lux Middle School).

10Years

SBO_40 40 7/1/08 4:33:35 PM


By the time I began elementary school, I had started violin lessons. Playing violin allowed me to express myself, connect with others, and mas-ter skills needed for school. My ability to concentrate, pay attention to details, and work hard to achieve goals came from my violin practicing. I use these same skills to succeed in school. Now, I play violin in orchestra and sing and play instruments in music class.

Less obvious, but just as important, are the other times music is a part of my school day. For example, my math teacher uses songs to help us remem-ber how to solve certain equations. Music and academics complement each other. Facts, rules, and formulas are the basic tools of learning, but be-ing well-educated means using these tools in new ways. Musicians use notes and rhythms to create music, but musi-cal masterpieces only come from their creative combination to allow person-al expression. Achieving this ability is what education is all about.

Meredith A. HoeySt. Andrew’s Middle SchoolCharleston, S.C.Grade: 7Age: 12


is so important to my complete educa-tion. Before I took music lessons, I had a hard time making friends because I was so shy. However, music has helped me learn how to interact with students my own age, I have learned the lessons of friendship and teamwork and that has carried over into my other class-es. My newfound friends and I have worked together in putting the music pieces together and we have great fun. I even have more confi dence in my-self.

The band performs the year for school, family and friends, because of this I am no longer afraid of per-forming in front of people. This has helped me to participate in class-room discussions and now I actually have fun in school. My grades in all of my classes have improved because I am a part of the class and learn- For Additional News in School Band and Orchestra, please visit www.sbomagazine.com

SBO_41 41 7/1/08 4:33:40 PM

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ing faster than before. Since I have been taking music in school, I have been promoted to honors programs for all my other classes. I am able to concentrate better and follow along with even the hardest things we learn. Music has made me realize how much going to school and learn-ing new things can be it has brought everything together and has made my life happier and better.

Benjamin LeiArlington Middle SchoolPoughkeepsie, N.Y.Grade: 6Age: 12

Dear Mr. President, I am writing to tell you why mu-

sic is so important to my complete education. Learning to play the vio-

lin and piano in the last seven years has defi nitely enhanced my self-con-fi dence, organizational, and memo-rization skills. These traits help me be successful, both academically and socially.

As a violinist, I have been selected as a fi nalist in a Concerto Competition and was fi rst chair in the All-County Musical Festival. These events have provided me with opportunities to perform in front of a large audience, therefore helping me develop confi -dence and self-assurance. These are abilities essential for leadership roles, such as giving class presentations or speeches.

In order for me to become a good young musician, I need to memorize the piece bar-by-bar and look ahead to plan for the upcoming notes, ac-cidentals, and rhythms. As a result of this musical training, my memoriza-tion and organizational skills have tre-mendously improved. I am capable of studying for tests in a short period of time. Furthermore, I am able to man-age my busy school schedule, music lessons, and volunteer work effective-ly. I also play the violin and piano at local nursing homes.

I feel very fortunate to be able to share my musical talent with others. Giving back to the community in the form of music is a key component to fulfi ll my complete education. Music is not only part of the school’s cur-riculum, but it also has a very signifi -cant, positive infl uence on my educa-tion.

10Years

Kimberly Handman of Arlington Middle School, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and scholarship winner Benjamin Lei.

SBO_42 42 7/1/08 4:33:47 PM

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SBOSurvey: Survival Guide

Thriving, Survivingor Else?

Of all the topics covered by SBO read-

er surveys throughout the year, none

evoke such poignant commentary as

the subject of survival in the world of

music education. From identifying indispens-

able teaching tools to tactics for maintaining

sanity and order in an often relentlessly chaotic

environment, this month’s survey was designed

to elicit the strategies your peers use to keep

their chins up and their programs healthy. At

the same time, it also provides the opportunity

to let off some steam on some of the more frus-

trating elements of teaching music in today’s

schools.

1-3 years

4-7

8-15

16-25

26+ 37%33%

21%

2%7%

How long have you been teaching music?

Yes

No

Undecided 12%

74%14%

Do you plan to continue in your current fi eld indefi -nitely?

10Years

SBO_44 44 7/1/08 4:35:14 PM


There are days when I wonder why I chose this path, but there are many more days that I fi nd the job rewarding. The students never cease to amaze me.

Matthew TrostCaledonia-Mumford Central School

Caledonia, N.Y. At this point, unless changes are made in the system I

cannot see myself teaching indefi nitely without burning out or worrying about fi nances. I am completing my sixth year of teaching (with a Masters degree) and cannot afford to purchase even a townhouse in my area thanks to my student loan debt.

Lori TibbettsGeorge Washington Bush Middle School

Tumwater, Wash.

I love what I am doing. While it does have its headaches, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Chris Van GilderArkansas City High School

Arkansas City, Kan.

It is my intention to teach until it isn’t fun or pleasant anymore. Financially, I need to work about another eight years for the best retirement benefi ts, but that is not my target. If it gets to the point that I am just working until I can retire, then it is time to fi nd something else to do. At that point, I am not doing a service to my students or myself.

Kevin BeaberCrowley County Schools

Ordway, Colo.

Since you started teaching, have you furthered your own education?

Since you started teaching, have you continued playing/performing with musicians/ensembles inde-pendent of your school?

I try to play as often as I can in groups like our com-

munity band or small ensembles with friends. I call it my “therapy.”

Mike BrownWestview Jr./Sr. High School

Topeka, Ind. My teaching schedule and workload unfortunately does

not allow me to perform outside of school.Andy Micciche

Windsor High SchoolWindsor, Va.

Do you collaborate or share ideas with other music educators?

Hearing from other intelligent teachers is one of the highlights of the profession for me.

Ryan BaldridgeWilson High School

Dallas, Texas

What is the most challenging element of teaching music?

We have gone to a rotating block schedule in the last few years, which means that I see the students basically every

Yes

No

89%11%

Yes

No

95%5%

Yes

No

97%3%

Classroom managemant

Paperwork

Maximizing efficiency in rehearsals

Daily class planning

Selecting repertoire

Balancing instrumentation

Presenting new concepts/techniques

Other

18%4%

22%

7%3%

11%

12%23%

SBO_45 45 7/1/08 4:35:20 PM


other day for band. I rarely see the same class two days in a row. Trying to achieve maximum reinforcement and carry-over from class to class, while introducing new concepts and keeping everyone “on the same page” has proven to be quite challenging.

David E. WilliamsRenfroe Middle School

Decatur, Ga.

There is a growing sense of entitlement among young people today, one that says, “I don’t have to work at this; all I need to do is to make it to the fi rst auditions for <insert name of any performance-based reality show here>.” Kids see practice and rehearsals as unproductive and useless be-cause present-day media presentations downplay or elimi-nate any emphasis on those things. When a single student decides that rehearsals are boring, that student can cause more grief during class time than anything else that might happen; their negative attitude about work can infect an en-tire organization. I am still looking for ways to motivate that student.

Rebecca GrottsParsons High School

Parsons, Kan.

Which of the following non-music-related activities are most burdensome for you?

Has the current economy had an adverse effect on your ensemble(s)?

What is your most indispensable tool in the classroom?

A sense of humor. It’s too easy to take ourselves too seri-ously – we need to keep in perspective how music fi ts into the students’ whole school experience.

William BuzzaLeavitt Area High School

Turner, Maine I can’t think of anything I couldn’t do without.

Tony L. PikeDavidson High School

Mobile, Ala.

My laptop has become my most important tool. In addi-tion to administrative tasks (communication, grading, inven-tory, et cetera), I am constantly using it to write, record, and playback music for students in all of my classes. I know that we all survived two decades ago with limited technology, but I cannot imagine trying to do my job today without it.

Eric S. GagnonPortsmouth High School

Portsmouth, N.H.

Believe it or not, for me it is a blackboard. Everything beyond that is nice and useful, but not indispensable.

David WuersigRoosevelt Middle School

River Forest Ill.

What is the single-most important thing you wish some-one had told you when you fi rst started teaching?

There’s a lot more to being a teacher than what goes on inside the classroom.

Cynthia NapierkowskiSalem Public Schools

Salem, Mass.

To succeed in most teaching environments you have to play the political game.

Noel CollinsMarion Senior High School

Marion, Va.

It is always “about the person,” not the music. Music is the tool we use to reach the person.

Steve HerrickLynden High School

Lynden, Wash.

Don’t take everything so seriously. It took me years to fi gure that out.

Michael McAllisterCasa Roble High School

Orangevale, Calif.

Fundraising

Scheduling

Garnering parent/admin support

Administrative bureaucracy

Equipment maintenance

Other

14%6%

30%11%

26%13%

Yes

No

49%51%

10Years

SBO_46 46 7/1/08 4:35:24 PM


What advice do you have for edu-cators who may be succumbing to the pressure of the daily teaching grind?

[From John A. Shedd’s Salt from My Attic] “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

Neil CopleyInternational School

Indianapolis, Ind.

Listen to as much music as you can for yourself, no matter what genre. Feeding your own musical soul has to happen for you to be able to emote mu-sic as a conductor and musician and to model that to students. Never forget that someone’s passion for music is what motivated us to be where we are today. Without us carrying on this legacy it will do. We must not let music die.

James G. DaughertyCentral Davidson High School

Lexington, N.C.

Don’t forget to stop and enjoy the music you are helping to create.

David RatliffMadison Southern High School

Berea, Ky.

Find time to talk and vent with other music teachers at your grade level(s). Try to remind yourself of the good things, write them down, and post them on your offi ce wall.

Monike HillWalcott Intermediate School

Walcott, Iowa

The small strides we make with in-dividuals every day is the important thing. We should never underestimate the power of our behavior and the in-fl uence it has on our students.

Jeffry L. ColvinShakamak Jr/Sr High School

Jasonville, Ind.

I fi rmly believe that you must have a life outside the band room. A former band director told me that this job would take all of the time you gave it – he was right! There is always something else to be done. Set aside time for yourself when possible. Read, listen, travel, hike – do something that you enjoy to refresh your mind, body and soul.

Joe TrustyCabot High School

Cabot, Ark.

Keep putting yourself in your students’ shoes and minds; if you wouldn’t want to be in your ensemble, then change it!

Edward AvilaRobstown High School

Robstown, Texas

Additional thoughts on surviving as a music educator?

If you expect to make any money at all, plan to stay in it for a long time. It’s worth so much more than money, however, if you have the fortune to be in the right place at the right time. Oh, and keep competition in perspec-tive. Personally, I love competition, but I think of it as a weekly critique by experts trying to help my program be

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the best it can be. I get a lot more out of that than I do my annual observa-tion by my supervisor.

Matthew F. KrempaskySomerville High School

Somerville, N.J.

Try to delegate little jobs out to stu-dents. Get students involved and let them see what you do away from the podium. It allows the kids to get to see you in a different light.

Kimberly MooersAlden Place Elementary School

Millbrook, N.Y.

It’s getting more and more dif-fi cult to “survive”. Society has changed. Parenting has changed. Students’ attitudes towards teach-ers have changed. Parents’ attitudes toward teachers have changed. The job of “teacher” (in any fi eld) has changed. There is more paperwork, more of a responsibility to teach social and character skills (because many parents aren’t doing it), and more emphasis on data collection and numbers-based accountabil-ity. Teaching and educating are art forms. Too many people want to fi t what we do into a business format/philosophy. I honestly can’t see any-

one lasting 30+ years in the job as it exists today.

Stephen BushSouthwestern Central School

Jamestown, N.Y.

If the program is going to fl ourish, it has to come from you. The kids aren’t going to do it on their own; you’ve got to make it a great program. Yes, it is frustrating starting out, especially when you have the Joneses around you (you know, schools with three or four directors, unlimited budgets, al-ways getting superior ratings) but you just have to work your way up. At the same time, don’t beat yourself up for not doing as well as the Joneses.

Jeffrey LehmanHunters Lane High School

Nashville, Tenn.

Never be afraid to ask for help. You are never alone and you can learn a lot from your mistakes. Treat diffi cult parents with consideration and persis-tence. Always communicate that you want the very best for the students and that high standards are worth striving for. Good luck!

Holly MosesMeridian Middle School

Kent, Wash.

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SBOTechnology: Rhythmic Independence

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

Dr. Kuzmich is a nationally-known music educator with more than 30 years of teaching experi-ence. He has certifi cation from TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) to serve as a training in-structor throughout the country. His academic background also includes a Ph.D. in comprehensive musician-ship.

As a freelance author, he has more than 250 articles and fi ve textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. For more information, visit his Web site: www.kuzmich.com.

Understanding the complexities of simple and com-

pound rhythms found in sight-reading is a huge

undertaking for middle and high school ensem-

bles, and one which is often overlooked. Without

the ability to read and accurately perform rhythms, printed

music is mysterious gibberish – however sharp the ear or

agile the technology. Rhythm is the key that opens the door

to music literacy.

Rhythmic Independence: The Missing Link in Sight-Reading Literacy

Theoretically, music technology should be able to make a major dif-ference in this fi eld. But after investi-gating the music technology market, rhythmic training is among the least developed areas for in-depth instruc-

tion, especially in terms of sight-read-ing. There are only a few products designed for the heterogeneous class-room. I will introduce several training systems that aim for rhythmic inde-pendence and mastery of sight-read-

ing skills, goals which can be attained within the warm-up period of a choir, band, or orchestra. These tools are invaluable when used in the ensem-ble class to assist the achievement of rhythmic profi ciency.

10Years

SBO_50 50 7/1/08 4:36:13 PM


Counting is FundamentalEven with the aid of music technology,

a good rhythm-counting system is criti-cally important for classroom ensemble instruction. The isolation of rhythm from other aspects of performance allows stu-dents advantages over the all-at-once in-structional approach. Rhythm counting can be perfected and we must teach stu-dents that perfection is possible from the beginning of their ensemble experience.

With solid teaching and the best tech-nology has to offer, our students’ rhyth-mic skill and confi dence can be assured.

The RhythmBee ProgramRhythmBee (www.rhythmbee.com)

is a beautiful combination of the latest teaching theory and cutting edge tech-nology for both Mac and PC users. De-signed for students to learn to perform rhythms fl uently within an ensemble rehearsal, school administrators will appreciate the fact that RhythmBee en-courages and reinforces spatial tempo-ral reasoning in every student. Created and developed by a supervisor of music, RhythmBee software consists of mod-ules designed for all levels. One unique feature of RhythmBee is the early child-hood component that allows rhythm instruction to begin before students can read or recite the alphabet. The result is a seamless Pre-K-through-12 rhythm curriculum with each unit of instruction providing simultaneous remediation and enrichment in a single class activity of fi ve-to-10 minutes-per-class period.

The Elementary Edition transitions students from general music activities to the rhythm reading necessary for secondary ensembles. Its 36 units fi ll the school year, covering one unit per week. The Secondary Edition provides the middle school band, choir, or or-chestra with signifi cant additional resources which progress from begin-ning musicians to rhythm readers with signifi cant expertise. The Accelerated Edition is for advanced middle school and high school students. Those who master the entire program (Units 1 to 90) will have few problems with rhythm performances in high school or the early years of college study.

The RhythmBee programs are built on two philosophies that are key to its

unusual claim that “every student gets it.” First, it utilizes incremental devel-opment with practice opportunities in small “bites” of learning, so that previous and new learning are connected to the body’s involuntary response system. This process is called “automaticity.” Second, continuous review reinforces previously

introduced concepts. S u r p r i s i n g l y ,

RhythmBee users have found that students pay better attention when they must watch for the tempo instead of listening to a met-ronomic beat, so there is no sound in the units. Because of the multi-sensory nature and sharp focus of in-struction, a student can successfully join a RhythmBee class any-time during the school year and quickly catch up to the material.

“Rhythm is the key that opens the door to music literacy.”

Your percussion section will be a “hit” at thepep rally, ball game or concert with this newcollection of 6 “Trash” grooves! Scored formetal trash cans, plastic pails, metal buckets& rubber bass cans “Bucket Beats” comeswith a score, a complete set of parts and a performance CD! What better way to educatethe young percussionist than by having thembang on some trash cans, eh? You can hearexcerpts at www.rowloff.comItem #8022 / $35.00

Eight Cool Novelty Ensembles forYoung Percussionists...

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RhythmBee stresses one physical or musical element at a time and is very thorough. The very fi rst element that is taught is the foot tap, which is not as easy and automatic as most of us think. Because the instruction is auto-mated, the teacher is free to roam and assist students on an individual basis.

One unusual non-musical feature of this software is the BellRinger, which begins every lesson with a huge digi-tal clock that the teacher can set for a variety of times. With this simple aid, music educators can ensure that ev-eryone is on task and moving forward from the fi rst downbeat.

Beyond the Notes Rhythm Rulz

Dr. Steven J. Moore, director of bands at Colorado State University, has come up with a unique combination of products to systematically teach sight-reading. He created Beyond the Notes Rhythm Rulz (www.beyondthenotes.com) DVD and CD to introduce and practice rhythms through a projection system during the fi ve-minute warm-up period. Over 200 rhythms are sequentially presented on eight levels for use with band, orchestra, choir or general music classes. An inno-vative visual approach he calls “Ruler of Time” helps students visualize the meter and beats. It is easy to navigate these DVD fl ash cards. There are two primary modes of operation. In the Study Mode, rhythms are presented with pauses, which is the best method for introducing rhythms. In

the Practice Mode, rhythms are fl ashed in the user’s choice of three tempos. Also included is a section of teaching ideas and rhythm-based games students can play.

Other Creative Options for Rhythm Development

SmartMusic by Makemusic (www.smartmusic.com) offers a wide

variety of rhythm ex-ercises that s t u d e n t s can prac-tice with

their instruments at home. There are 27 Simple Time exercises that include 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 with whole, dotted-half, half, and quarter notes and rests. There are 33 Simple Time 2 exercises that include 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 with whole, dotted-half, half, dotted-quarter, quarter, and eighth notes and rests. The 25 Simple Time 3 exercises include 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 with whole, dotted-half, half, dotted-quarter, quarter, dotted-eighth, eighth, and six-teenth notes and rests. Compound Time 1 has 26 exercises that include 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, and the 16 Compound Time 2 exercises include 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 and whole, dotted-half, half, dotted-quarter, quarter, dotted-eighth, eighth, and six-teenth notes and rests.

The SmartMusic system includes more than 50,000 skill-building exer-cises and 30,000 accompaniments. The biggest news is in the area of repertoire. MakeMusic is releasing between 50 and 100 new concert band, jazz ensemble, and orchestra titles each month. These titles have on-screen notation, profes-sional audio recordings, and pre-au-thored assignments for all parts. Cur-rently, SmartMusic includes 776 of these titles, and plans to have more than 1,000 available in time for school in the fall.

Practica MusicaOf the conservatory-level music the-

ory software programs that offer rhythm instruction, there are three that are par-ticularly strong. The fi rst one, Practica Musica by Ars Nova, has added an inno-vative rhythm activity entitled “rhythm drop.” This a fun variation on rhythm tapping also provides visual guidance. When the exercise begins, users see the rhythm excerpt notated as large blue notes with no staff lines. An inch or so below is a horizontal “goal line.” As the music begins to play, the notes start dropping toward the goal line, and they sound as they each reach the line. First the computer plays the excerpt with the animation, then the student plays it, tap-ping keys to “catch” each note as it hits

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the goal line. This resembles video dance games. The program can gen-erate an infi nite number of new ex-ercises at any level of diffi culty, though rhythm drop is

probably more appropriate for the be-ginning levels.

AuraliaAuralia is an outstanding aural

training software program by Rising Software (distributed by Sibelius) that contains hundreds of exercises orga-nized in 41 topics. One key feature is that it monitors the student’s progress with good record keeping. Aurelia’s aural training program also includes: • Meter Recognition – Aural recogni-

tion of the meter of a musical ex-tract including standard and irregu-lar time signatures (5/4, 7/4, 5/8, 7/8, et cetera), notes/rests up to a 32nd, and syncopation.

• Pulse Tapping – Tap along to a musical extract in simple and com-pound time signatures.

• Rhythm Comparison – Aurally com-pare two played extracts and iden-tify the extracts as same or different, highlight the rhythmic changes, or notate the changed rhythm.

• Rhythm Dictation – Notate the rhythm of the played extract.

• Rhythm Elements – Auralia will play a rhythmic fragment and users identify which one was played. This includes simple and compound me-ters with eighth-note, 16th-note, eighth-note triplet, quintuplet, and septuplet subdivisions

• Rhythm Element Dictation – Notate the rhythm of the musical extract.

• Rhythm Imitation – Tap the rhythm of a musical extract. This includes simple and compound time signa-tures and note durations up to a 32nd note.

• Rhythm Styles - Aural recognition of 17 different styles.

MusitionMusition, also manufactured by

Rising Software, is comprehensive

music theory software for learning and testing music theory. I especially appreciate its interactive tests covering all levels from beginner to advanced, and many styles of music, including classical, jazz, rock and pop. It is orga-nized with hundreds of exercises over 34 topics. Following are some of the best topics for rhythm development:• Beaming – Correctly beam a set of

displayed notes. • Drum Sticking – Tap the displayed

sticking pattern. This is designed to assist with development of left/right hand co-ordination for percussion-ists and includes many different patterns including single/double/triple paradiddles and paradiddle-diddles.

• Drum Styles – Tap the displayed rhythm along with the other parts of a drum groove. Users may be asked to tap a displayed kick drum part of a rock groove. There are 14 different styles, with many patterns in each.

• Meter Recognition – Visually iden-tify the meter of the phrase or click in the bar lines, or defi ne the me-ter.

• Rhythm Notation – Visually iden-tify rhythm values.

• Rhythm Tapping – Tap the dis-played extract.

• Rhythmic Subdivision – Identify the relative values of two rhythms (for example, how many eighth notes would fi t into a half note).

Closing CommentsRefl ecting on this topic with Dr.

Moore, he provided a word of cau-tion about the complexities of teach-ing sight-reading. He states, “In terms of developing sight-reading skills in an ensemble, these are important technology components, but I also include other aspects [in my classes].” Dr. Moore likes the strategy for sight-reading in sequential steps outlined in Robert Garofalo’s workbooks pub-lished by Meredith Music Publications for band and orchestra students.

A comprehensive program that pre-pares students for sight-reading suc-cess will need to use more than just the rhythm software and theory method.

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NewProducts

The Kali mouthpiece boasts tons of power and projection, along with a full and fat sound, and ease of playing. It utilizes a pat-ented baffl e and chamber along with three other inno-vative Design Patents and one Manufac-turing Process Pat-ent.

The true large chamber, similar to the vintage mouthpieces of the 1940s, but tech-nically superior, ensures a warm, fat, robust sound. The chamber is formed from a specifi c conical extension starting at the very tip of the mouth-piece and reaching to the back of the chamber, all machined to extremely high tolerances.

Features:True Large ChamberHigh Baffl eRounded Inner Side WallsErgonomic BeakUser-Replaceable Bite PadIndividual Serial NumbersChamfered Side RailsDrop FloorBaffl e-Corrected Tip OpeningsTheo’s proprietary Facing CurveSizes available: 7*, 8, 9, 10

The Parvati, with its lower baffl e, is a darker sounding mouthpiece with sound qualities reminiscent of classic

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mouthpieces. It has a big, deep, and rich tone with a rich resonating re-sponse.

The wood Parvati is crafted from stable wood. Stable wood is made from hard wood that is im-pregnated with resin through the use of heat and pressure. Unlike standard wood, stable wood will not warp when exposed to heat and moisture.

Features:Made of Stable WoodTrue Large ChamberBeautifully Rounded Inner Side WallsBaffl e similar to a Florida Slant Signature Otto LinkPatented User-Replaceable Bite PadTheo’s Proprietary Facing CurveFacing size 7*

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10Years

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NewProducts

P. Mauriat SaxesMonteVerde Music, the

North American Distribu-tor for P. Mauriat Saxo-phones, announces the debut of two new mod-els. The PMXA-67R

UL alto saxophone and the PMXT-66R UL tenor s a x o p h o n e are the same

design as the cur-rent PMXA-67R and PMXT-66R, except they are un-

lacquered and they go through a special process to make them look “weathered,” like an older vintage horn, while maintaining the huge, fat sound and intonation. An-other version of the PMXA-67R and PMXT-66R, the “In-fl uence,” has a totally redesigned keywork.www.monteverdemusic.com

ChopSaver Gold with SPF 15ChopSaver®, the all-natural lip

balm created with the special needs of musicians in mind, is now available with sunscreen (SPF 15). The new product, ChopSaver Gold features bright orange packaging with the fa-miliar green hues of ChopSaver Origi-nal.

ChopSaver was created in 2004 by Dan Gosling, a professional trumpet player who was not satisfi ed with the selection of lip care products then on the market. His company, Good for the

Goose Products, LLC, was established to market and sell the ChopSaver line. The company spent more than a year developing ChopSaver Gold, includ-ing the time required for FDA testing and approval.

ChopSaver Gold will not replace ChopSaver Original. Both items have a suggested retail price of $4.95.www.chopsaver.com

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10Years NewProducts

Songwriting: A Complete Guide to the Craft

Limelight Editions’ Songwriting: A Complete Guide to the Craft aims to cover everything involved in successful songwriting, from fi nding a concept and distilling the hook to copyright-ing, recording, and selling your song.

Heritage Music Press has released a number of music activity books for el-ementary and middle school students.

Music Makes the Scene, by Cathy Blair, includes a 50-minute DVD with 10 short original movie clips. Each is shown once without audio, then three more times, each with different music. Students watch and listen to all four versions of the clop

while completing guided listen-ing activities that highlight how each of the different soundtracks affects the reactions to the movie clip. Reproducible worksheets and listening guides are included in this unique product intended for grades 5-8.

Outside the Lines: A New Approach to Composing in the Classroom, by

Mark Burrows, is a collection of composition activities de-signed to free students so they can focus on expressing cre-ative ideas without worrying

about breaking any mu-sical “rules.” The result is a set of activities that fulfi ll the National Stan-dards of Music Educa-tion, yet are accessible and enjoyable. Students are invited to work with everything from picture notation to a one-line staff as they participate in com-position activities that are educational, rewarding and invigorating. Students compose a soundtrack, shape a river of sound, create a soundscape to accompa-ny a famous painting, even build a cool percussion groove using box notation. Designed for students grades 2-6.

Show Us the Music: Four Coopera-tive Games for the Music Classroom, by Bonnie J. Krueger is a collection of music games inspired by various popu-lar shows. Directions for each game are included, along with suggestions for adapting them for various classroom set-tings. A bank of more than 250 questions or-ganized by type and topic is also provided. Most may be used to play any fo the games, allowing for maximum fl exibility of use and mak-ing this a great budget-stretching re-source. Intended for grades 2-6.www.lorenz.com

Music Activity Books from Heritage Music Press

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INTEGRITHIP CRAFTSMANSHIP

VALUE VALUE VALUE VAL

GRITY INTEGRITY INTEGRITY

HIP CRAFTSMANSHIP CINTEGRITY INTEGRITY

P CRAFTSMANSHI

Ten years ago, Vic Firth Educational

Percussion introduced a new standard in percussion

education. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, you can be sure

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EDUCATIONAL PERCUSSION

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10Years NewProducts

August

CANADA:Music Industries Association of Canada (MIAC)August 24 – 25

Indiana:Drum Corps International (DCI) World ChampionshipsAugust 5 – 9

New York:New York State School Music Associa-tion (NYSSMA) ConferenceAugust 10 – 17

Every attempt has been made to pro-vide accurate data, though readers should note that all event dates and information listed are subject to change.

If you have information on any rel-evant future events that you’d like to see included in next month’s calendar, please e-mail SBO editor, Christian Wissmuller: [email protected]

EventsCalendar

But above all, Songwriting emphasizes the art and technique of song creation. For the novice, author Stephen Citron goes step-by-step through the writ-ing of a song, presupposing no prior knowledge of notation, harmony, rhythmic values, or rhyme. For the more experienced songwriter, Song-writing can serve as a one-stop refer-ence, and a source of fresh ideas.

First released in 1985, this complete guide has been new-ly revised and updated for the twenty-fi rst century. In ad-dition to all of the original’s advice on how to write bal-lads, country songs, and love songs, the new edition includes examples of heavy metal, hip-hop, rap, gangsta rap, reggae, ska, and other frequently

recorded modern genres, as well as a look at music technol-ogy that has “revolutionized the craft of songwriting.”www.limelighteditions.com

Wittner Steel Tailpiece Wires

Wittner has introduced a series of tailpiece wires in a variety of sizes to fi t viola, violin, cello, and double bass. These wires are designed to fi t snugly to the end button and the saddle. The braided steel construction means the wires do not stretch and are insusceptible to changing climate conditions. Therefore, the instrument can be played immediately after installation of the braided tailpiece wire and. unlike a nylon tail gut, there is no additional stretching that might require a re-tuning of the instrument.www.wittner-gmbh.de

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their elbows fall down to rest on the top of the instrument.

Sonja CunninghamAnson Jones Middle School

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SERVICES

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sbo july 2008

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