Music Teacher Evaluation by Non-Music Administrators
Practical
Relationships
From the Music Room
Strategies for Ensemble
New Year of New
Motivation and Growth
Perspectives
Than You Think
The New ‘HOW’ in Online
Music Education
More Creative
Building
PLUS:
Art Education Is Essential Statement
FCAP: The Business of Supporting Music Educators
June M. Hinckley
Music Education Scholarship Recipients
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2
Florida Music Director
BreezinThruTheory.com 1-855-265-3805 [email protected]
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Contents
August 2020 Volume 74 • Number 1
FEATURES
2020-2021 Board of Directors, Chairpersons,andStaff .............. 6-7
Art Education Is Essential Statement . . . . 9-10
FCAP: The Business of Supporting MusicEducators ................... 11
June M. Hinckley Music Education ScholarshipRecipients............. 15,17
Music Teacher Evaluation by Non-MusicAdministrators ............ 22
Practical Strategies for Ensemble MotivationandGrowth .............. 26
NewYearofNewPerspectives . . . . . . . . . 30
The New ‘HOW’ in Online MusicEducation................... 32
Executive Director Florida Music Education Association Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD Hinckley Center for
Fine Arts Education
402 Office Plaza Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 878-6844 or (800) 301-3632 ([email protected])
Editor-in-Chief
D. Gregory Springer, PhD
Florida State University College of Music 122 N. Copeland Street Tallahassee, FL 32306 (850) 644-2925 (office) ([email protected])
Editorial Committee
Terice Allen
(850) 245-8700, Tallahassee
([email protected])
Judy Arthur, PhD
Florida State University, KMU 222 (850) 644-3005 ([email protected])
William Bauer, PhD
University of Florida, Gainesville (352) 273-3182; ([email protected])
Alice-Ann Darrow, PhD
College of Music, FSU, Tallahassee (850) 645-1438; ([email protected])
Jeanne Reynolds
Pinellas County Schools, Largo (727) 588-6055; ([email protected])
John K. Southall, PhD
Indian River State College, Fort Pierce (772) 462-7810; ([email protected])
Advertising Sales
Valeria Anderson
([email protected])
Director of Finance and Client Relations
Richard Brown , MBA, CAE, CMP ([email protected])
402 Office Plaza, Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 878-6844
Official FMEA and FMD Photographers
Bob O’Lary Debby Stubing
Art Director & Production Manager
Lori Danello Roberts, LDR Design Inc. ([email protected])
Circulation & Copy Manager
Valeria Anderson, (800) 301-3632
Copy Editor
Susan Trainor
DEPARTMENTS
AdvertiserIndex.......... 4 President’sMessage........5 AdvocacyReport.......... 8 Corporate Partners . . . . . . 12-13 AcademicPartners. . . . . . . . 14 2019-20 FMEA Donors . . . 19-21
ComponentNews......... CommitteeReports . . . . . . . ResearchPuzzles......... Executive Director’s Notes . . . Officers and Directors. . . . . .
33 38 46 47 49
August 2020
3
FMEA Wins 2020 NAfME Membership Award
Thanks to our members’ outstanding participation,
the Florida Music Education Association is the recipient of the 2020 NAfME Membership Award in the Large MEA category. The award is based on membership growth metrics.
Advertiser Index
The Florida Music Director is made possible by the participation of the following businesses whose advertisements appear in this issue. They make it possible to provide you with a high-quality publica- tion, and we gratefully acknowledge their support of our mission. We hope you will take special notice of these advertisements and consider the products and services offered. It is another important way you can support your professional association and the enhance- ment of Florida music education.
The publisher does not endorse any particular company, product, or service. The Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) is not responsible for the content of any advertisement and reserves the right to accept or refuse any advertisement submitted for publication. Information for advertisers (rate card, insertion orders, graphics requirements, etc.) can be found at FMEAMediaKit.org.
ADVERTISER
Breezin’ Thru, Inc........................................................................................... IFC
This advertiser provides additional support to FMEA members through member- ship in the Corporate and Academic Partners program. This Partner deserves your special recognition and attention.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Direct correspondence regarding subscriptions to: Hinckley Center for Fine Arts Education, 402 Office Plaza, Tallahassee, FL, 32301-2757. Subscription cost included in FMEA membership dues ($9); libraries, educational institutions, and all others within the United States: $27 plus 7.5% sales tax.
CIRCULATION: 4,500 educators. Published eight times annually by The Florida Music Education Association, Hinckley Center for Fine Arts Education: 402 Office Plaza Tallahassee, FL 32301-2757. FMEA reserves the right to approve any application for appearance and to edit all ma- terials proposed for distribution. Permission is granted to all FMEA members to reprint articles from the Florida Music Director for non-com- mercial, educational purposes. Non-members may request permission from the FMEA office.
SUBMISSIONS: Article and art submissions are always considered and should be submitted on or before the 1st of the month, one month prior to the publication issue to: D. Gregory Springer, PhD, dgspring- [email protected].
All articles must be provided in digital format (e.g., Microsoft Word). All applicable fonts and images must be provided. Images must be at least 300 dpi resolution at 100% of the size. All submissions must be accom- panied by a proof (color, if applicable). Ads may be submitted via email to [email protected].
Florida Music Director reserves the right to refuse any ad not pre- pared to the correct specifications OR to rework the ad as needed with fees applied.
2020-21 FMEA Membership: You are eligible for membership in the Flor- ida Music Education Association if you are an individual engaged in the teaching, supervision, or administration of music in elementary and sec- ondary schools, colleges, or universities within the state.
Visit FMEA.org/membership to learn more about the benefits of active membership.
4 Florida Music Director
President’sMessage
Facing Challenges While
PH r e p a r i n g f o r S u c c e s s
ello, FMEA members. I hope this issue of Florida Music Director finds you healthy and safe. Usually the
beginning of the school year is filled with excitement and expectations. Yet, what was normal is not normal, and we have new realities we must confront and overcome. This school year will begin with many questions, and few absolute answers. I recognize your anxiety, uncertainties, and worries. However, I want to remind you of opportunities that may help to create some sense of normalcy and success.
As you begin this academic year, I would like to suggest the following to help create success:
1. Keep music in music education. Students join music classes to sing and play. Reducing music to worksheet packets being sent home or other nonperforming filler activities eliminates the very essence of a music class. I assure you that students miss music class and want to perform again.
2. Be involved. Be directly involved in decisions being made for your school, including decisions that may not initially affect your music classes. Talk to your principals, counselors, and other colleagues. Contact your superintendents and school board members. Get your students’ parents involved. Tell everyone that music is important, and may be the most important class of the day as students return to school. Remember, music teaches more than notes and rhythms; we also help students cope with their anxieties.
3. Stay informed. Read, talk, and observe changes in your school and how they affect your programs. Be aware of your students and how they are coping with so many changes and uncertainties. Social and emotional learning will be vital. Connect with your students and help guide them through their chal- lenges.
4. Be visible. Programs that will survive best after COVID-19 and social unrest are resolved will be those that are visible NOW. Show the value of music and the many different ways music education contributes to every student’s complete education. Be your best advocate!
5. Take care of yourself. Get rest, wash your hands, wear masks, and social distance as much as possible. Remember to take time for yourself! Teaching this semester will be more difficult, but if you cannot be in the classroom because you are sick, your students will not receive the best possible music experience.
6. Above all, make your students the focus of your classes. This suggestion is most important. Like you, students are coping with social and emotional issues. They may not have had their instruments or been able to sing in a group. Teachers will need to meet their students on the students’ level more than ever before. We may need to adjust our instructional approaches and activities to where our students are when they first return. This adjustment does not mean we reduce our standards. Students want to succeed and grow. But where we start might need to be adjusted so students are not overwhelmed in the beginning.
Please know that FMEA is here to support you. Visit our website for resources for teaching in this diffi-
cult time. We will be working with our component organizations to offer more resources and information throughout the year. Look at the NAfME website for information and resources from a national perspec- tive. You and your students can overcome the challenges and be successful. Stay informed, stay well, and take care of your students. I am with you, and so is FMEA. Stay strong and please contact me if I can help you.
Sincerely,
Steven N. Kelly, PhD, President Florida Music Education Association
August
Steven N. Kelly, PhD
President
Florida Music Education Association
2020 5
2020-2021 Board of Directors
If you need information about the Florida Music Education Association, please call us at 1-800-301-3632.
STAFF
Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD
Executive Director
Valeria Anderson, IOM
Director of Operations
Richard Brown, CAE
Director of Finance & Client Relations
Josh Bula, PhD
Director of Information Technology
Jenny Abdelnour
Public Affairs & Communications Coordinator
Jasmine Van Weelden
Marketing & Membership Coordinator
Steven N. Kelly, PhD President
Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD FMEA/FSMA Executive Director
Julian Grubb Florida NAfME Collegiate President
Matthew Davis FOA President
Kenneth Williams, PhD Past President
Shelby R. Chipman, PhD President-Elect
Ian Schwindt FBA President
Marc Decker, DMA FCMEA President
Mark A. Belfast, Jr., PhD Florida NAfME Collegiate Advisor
Ernesta Chicklowski FEMEA President
Harry “Skip” Pardee FMSA President
Jason Locker FVA President
Edgar Rubio Member-at-Large
6 Florida Music Director
Committee Chairpersons
Debbie Fahmie Awards
Steven N. Kelly, PhD Budget/Finance, Development
Mary Palmer, EdD Emerging Leaders
Scott Evans Professional Development
John K. Southall, PhD Conference Planning
Fred Schiff — Florida Corporate & Academic Partners
Don D. Coffman, PhD Research
David Williams, PhD Contemporary Media
Alice-Ann Darrow, PhD Diverse Learners
Jeanne W. Reynolds Government Relations
Valerie Terry FSMA President
D. Gregory Springer, PhD
Florida Music Director
Editor-in-Chief
Ex-Officio Members
Bruce J. Green Multicultural Network
Ed Prasse Secondary General Music
Michael Antmann, EdD Student Leadership
August 2020 7
Jeanne W. Reynolds
Chairwoman
Government Relations Committee
AdvocacyReport
Not Throwing Away My Shot
This is hard. Period.
It is important to acknowledge the stresses, the unknowns, and the dramatic effect the pandemic has had, and will continue to have, on music education. Every educator has been impacted by this virus, but music educators face additional challenges. We work closely together in ensemble settings, and because music is an art form that exists in time, audiences are an integral part of the art we make. Not knowing how we can safely perform together in real time, or when we will be able to present our music to live audiences, amplifies the fear, confusion, anxiety, and grief that all educators are feeling. With so many worries and uncertainties regarding the 2020-21 school year, advocacy may seem like the last thing on your to-do list.
Wrong. Advocacy should be the first thing on your to-do list.
Advocacy in the age of COVID-19 will involve some deep soul searching. The “how” of our music teaching has been changed. Typical instructional practices, performances, and even music performance assessments are not guaranteed this year. At a minimum, so much will look and feel different. We need to reflect deeply on what is truly
important and find new ways to teach music concepts well.
But advocacy has always been about the “why.” Why is it important for students to participate in high-quality sequential music education programs? If music education is to thrive in a post-pandemic world, we must be very focused and vocal about its importance for all students, and we must be creative and brilliant about new ways of delivering con- tent. The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) brought together more than 50 national organizations to develop the Arts Education Is Essential statement, included on pages 9-10. Familiarize
yourself with this statement, if you have not done so already.
Now it’s time for you to develop your own personal statement. Find your voice and use it. Tell the story of the student who participated in virtual learning the last quarter of the 2019-20 school year for one reason only—your virtual music class. Without you and the music program, she would have given up on school entirely. Tell the story of the family who wants to return to a brick-and-mortar school for one program only—your choral program. Talk about the extraordinary power of music education on brain development and emotional health. Cite data and statistics from your own school as well as state and national statistics. It is important to have data to back up your stories. As the old saying goes, data make you a credible advocate, but stories are memorable. To be an effective
advocate, you need data and stories.
Stop focusing on what we cannot do. This sends a message to decision makers that your program
cannot function during the pandemic and that it is expendable. Focus on the music. Focus on your stu- dents. Focus on what the future could be. Don’t just talk about creativity. Be the creative problem solver administrators desperately need. Creativity and arts education are more critical now than ever before. Seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to elevate music and the arts for future generations.
The pandemic will not last forever. We must ensure there is a strong structure for music education during and after the pandemic. To paraphrase Lin Manuel Miranda’s words from the musical Hamilton, don’t throw away your shot.
8 Florida Music Director
It’s time to take a shot
Rise up, rise up,
it’s time to take a shot
Rise up, it’s time to take a shot
Rise up, take a shot, shot, shot
It’s time to take a shot, time to take a shot
And I am not throwing away my shot Not throwing away my shot
— Lin Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton
Arts Education Is Essential
This statement of support for arts education has been reviewed and endorsed by the national organizations listed on page two.
It is imperative that all students have access to an equitable delivery of arts education that includes dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts that supports their educational, social, and emotional well-being, taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers.
Teaching and learning will never quite be the same in our post-COVID-19 world. However, our commitment to provide rich and varied educational experiences remains unwavering. The arts have played an important role in these tumultuous times and will continue to do so for all students, including the traditionally underrepresented, those with special needs, and from low-income families. Here’s why:
Arts education supports the social and emotional well-being of students, whether through distance learning or in person.
Self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-management and perseverance, social awareness and relationship skills are central to any arts education activity, no matter the age and ability of the student or the environment in which the learning takes place. The arts, with their strong emphasis on team-building and self-reflection are supremely suited to re-ignite students’ interest in learning through collaboration, while simultaneously fostering creativity, critical thinking, and communication.
Arts education nurtures the creation of a welcoming school environment where students can express themselves in a safe and positive way.
Celebrating our ability to come together as educators and students is vital to creating a healthy and inclusive school community. The arts, through a rich partnership among certified arts educators, teaching artists,
and community arts providers, play a valuable role in helping students and their families build and sustain community and cultural connections.
Arts education is part of a well-rounded education for all students as understood and supported by federal and state policymakers.
As defined in ESSA, “music and the arts” are part of a well-rounded education. Every state in the nation recognizes the importance of the arts as reflected in rigorous PreK-12 state arts standards. Forty-six states require an arts credit to receive a high school diploma, and 43 states have instructional requirements in the arts for elementary and secondary schools. As noted in Arts Education for America’s Students: A Shared Endeavor: “An education without the arts is inadequate.”
The healing and unifying power of the arts has been evident as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country. We have
seen and heard it play out through works of art on sidewalks, shared musical moments from porches, in plays and dance performances, and every other imaginable iteration of art making. As states and schools work through multiple challenges in the years ahead, arts education must remain central to a well-rounded education and fully funded to support the well- being of all students and the entire school community.
Arts Education Is Essential 1
August 2020 9
Endorsing Organizations
Afterschool Alliance
American Choral Directors Association
American Composers Forum
American Orff-Schulwerk Association
Americans for the Arts
American String Teachers Association
Barbershop Harmony Society
Carnegie Hall
Casio America, Inc.
Chorus America
CMA Foundation
College Band Directors National Association
Conn-Selmer, Inc.
D’Addario Foundation
Eastman Music Company
Education Through Music
Educational Theatre Association
Give a Note Foundation
Hal Leonard
Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Band Directors’ Consortium
Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Education Network KHS America
KORG, USA
League of American Orchestras Little Kids Rock
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Music for All
Music Teachers National Association
NAMM Foundation
National Art Education Association
National Association for Music Education
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Coalition for Core Arts Standards
National Dance Education Organization
National Education Association
National Federation of State High School Associations
National YoungArts Foundation
Organization of American Kodály Educators
Quadrant Research
QuaverEd
Recording Academy
Save The Music Foundation
State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education
The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation United Sound, Inc.
Varsity Performing Arts
West Music Company
WURRLYedu
Yamaha Corporation of America Young Audiences Arts for Learning YOUnison
Do you represent a national organization interested in endorsing this statement? Email [email protected]
© 2020
Arts Education Is Essential 2
FCAP
The Business of Supporting Music Educators
by Fred Schiff, Chairman FMEA Corporate & Academic Partners
The business challenges facing FMEA Corporate Partners, Academic Partners, and exhibitors are unprecedented. What was once a matter of improving a dynamic system of relationships and information delivery is now an exercise in reinventing and redesigning new ways of conducting business. In a nutshell, business as usual is no longer business as usual.
However, throughout our state and the country, the music industry rallied its resources in support of music education. Individual music stores hosted “think tank” meetings, symposiums, and discussions on how to keep students engaged and how to plan for the coming school year. The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) partnered with NAfME to present numerous webinars designed to answer the tough questions of how to move forward and how to be heard.
The past five months have proven that Florida’s music education profession- als can readily adapt to an overnight change in the landscape. Teachers quickly and adeptly configured ways to reach their students and did their best to keep them engaged. They Zoomed together and created and invented systems, con- cepts, and never-before-seen teaching methods. If there was ever a group of professionals who could improvise and play this pandemic by ear, it was our Florida music teachers.
What I witnessed was inspirational and demonstrated, once again, that in any circumstance, when it comes to the advancement of education, no one does it better than Florida’s music educators.
The need for social and emotional learning has never been greater, so make sure you communicate this vital aspect of education with your administrators and school board members. Music education offers our stakeholders the oppor- tunity to expand the boundaries of a virtual world that wants to close us in.
Additionally, as we begin reopening our economy, please keep in mind your FMEA partners and their employees as you make purchasing decisions. We are with you every step of the way and look forward to helping you achieve your musical goals.
FMEA.org/partners
Partners Make It Possible
The Florida Corporate and Academic Partners help strengthen music education in Florida through their tireless work to support teachers. FMEA expresses its greatest thanks to each of our Partners, Corporate and Academic, for their partnership over the past year. We hope that FMEA members from across the state support our Partners as they support FMEA and Florida music educators.
The Academic Partner memberships are for colleges, universities, and military organizations, and the Corporate Partner memberships are for businesses and organizations.
Please choose the appropriate button for more information.
FMEA is a not-for-profit professional education association that serves
and supports music education across Florida. FMEA promotes and publishes the Florida Music Director and music education research, organizes professional development programs, and broadens teachers’ knowledge and interest in their profession through affiliation with colleagues. Membership in FMEA is open to music instructors from pre-kindergarten level through college, including music supervisors, and component organization membership is available for your specific music education focus.
Corporate Partners
Academic Partners
August 2020 11
SILVER PARTNERS
Music is Elementary Music Man, Inc. The Horn Section, Inc.
Partners as of June 30, 2020.
*Please visit FMEA.org/partners for partnership details or call 850-878-6844.
12 Florida Music Director
GOLD
Please take time to thank and support our 2019-2020 Corporate Partners.
PARTNERS
Cadence Music
Carl Fischer Music D’Addario Excelcia Music Publishing Head’s House of Music J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. MakeMusic, Inc. Music & Arts
BRONZE PARTNERS
National Concerts
Neil A. Kjos Music Company Noteflight
Romeo Music
Spring Hill Music Academy Tampa Bay Institute for Music Therapy West Music Company
August 2020 13
Please take time to thank and support our 2019-2020 Academic Partners.
GOLD PARTNERS
SILVER PARTNERS
University of North Florida
BRONZE PARTNERS
Cannon Music Camp - Appalachian State University Florida College
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Southern College
Holy Cross Lutheran Academy
Infinity Percussion
Kent State University School of Music Mercer University
Northwestern State University (LA)
Palm Beach Atlantic University Rollins College Department of Music Stetson University
Union University
University of North Texas University of Tampa
Valdosta State University
West Virginia University School of Music
14
Partners as of June 30, 2020.
*Please visit FMEA.org/partners for partnership details or call 850-878-6844.
Florida Music Director
June M. Hinckley Music Education
Scholarship Recipient
Shayna Singer submitted the following essay with her application for the June M. Hinckley Music Education Scholarship. It appears here with minor editing and the addition of a headline.
Bringing Joy Through Music by Shayna Singer
June M. Hinckley Music Education Scholarship Recipient
Ever since I began my music education
program at the SOS Children’s Village in
Coconut Creek, I realized how much I love
to be able to bring musical opportunities
to and spark passion in children. The SOS
Children’s Village is a nonprofit organiza-
tion that provides foster care for children
all around the world, dedicated to keeping
children together after being separated from
their parents. As president of the Tri-M
Music Honor Society at my school, which
was recently recognized as the Chapter of
the Year from the National Association for
Music Education, I decided to bring my
chapter to the children’s village to perform
a Christmas concert in December 2018. After
coming up with a program that consisted of
choral and brass ensembles as well as solos,
we performed for the 25 children who were
eager to hear what we had prepared. It was
an overwhelming experience. We spent about two hours perform- ing, speaking with children, holding an instrument petting zoo, allowing the children to experiment with instruments, and doing arts and crafts. After leaving the village to return to school that day, I was charged with emotions. I thought to myself, “These children deserve so much more; they were so eager and so excited to see the performances and play with the instruments.” I decided that I wanted to share music with them even more.
Beginning in February 2019, I began our official music education program, where we visited once a month bringing instruments, providing individual and group lessons, and so much more. Throughout the year, we taught them to compose songs, create
accompaniment for Disney movies, drum on buckets, and understand wind/brass/string instruments among other activities. I have created personal relationships with the children, and the house parents tell me they look forward to our class every month.
Coming from such a strong performance background, teaching and education have been quite different for me. I am so used to sitting on the piano bench about to play the Chopin Barcarolle or standing on the stage about to perform the lead role in Massenet’s Cendrillon. Performing was defi- nitely my forte, but after creating my own piano studio and
Continued on page 16
August 2020 15
Shayna Singer
Continued from page 15
teaching up to five students at a time, I realized that I had a love for teaching. I often spend early mornings at school tutoring students with special needs in music theory and keyboard skills, as well as weekend nights traveling to houses to teach piano lessons. Although teaching was new to me, it felt natural. Week after week, I love seeing the dedication and improvement of my students.
Over the past year, working with indi- vidual students as well as the children at the SOS Children’s Village, I realized my hidden passion for music education. Being able to bring opportunities to children is one of the most gratifying experiences for me and allows them to expand upon their horizons to things they never thought they could do. It also made me realize how much I enjoy bringing joy through music to others. All of this filters into why I want to become a music educator. I want to spark passion and creativity in students as well as educate our younger generation.
Music is a part of everybody’s life in one way or another. For some, it takes shape in listening to tunes in the car, hear- ing your neighbor’s speakers play songs, or turning on some jams in between class. For others like me, it is so much more than that. It sparks emotion, memories, passion, creativity, and inspiration. In the darkest moments in my life, such as learning how to cope with my father’s ill- ness and the changes it made to my fam- ily, music has always been there for me. Whether it is through singing an Italian art song, playing an F blues piano solo, or listening to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, music has helped me through so much. It has inspired me to become a better person, to help others, and much more. It is up to us, the music educators, to allow everybody in the world to feel the way we do about music. It is extremely impactful.
No matter what background—one’s race, age, economic status, gender, or religion—all genres and styles of music should be available and encouraged to all.
Music sparks love, hope, and peace, all of which the world needs more of. It is up to our younger generation to be able to bring music to all people of the world. Often, I feel as if music, especially classical music, is becoming less and less popular with the younger generation. Although I do have many colleagues from around the world that are pursuing classical music in col- lege and beyond, I still feel as if classical music is disregarded often. Ever since I have begun the music education program at the SOS Children’s Village, I am ded- icated to making music available to all students, no matter what their situation is.
Overall, music has impacted everyone in one way or another, whether we know it or not. It can bring happiness and love to people, and help us through our dark- est times. It is therapeutic in so many ways! No matter what happens in the world, music should always be available to everyone in order to spread love and joy between us and is something of which we can always use a bit extra.
16 Florida Music Director
Including the
“Make Your Case”
Database
at
Access
Advocacy Materials
June M. Hinckley Music Education
Scholarship Recipient
Mark Stevens submitted the following essay with his application for the June M. Hinckley Music Education Scholarship. It appears here with minor editing and the addition of a headline.
A Passion for Teaching Music by Mark Stevens
II have always wanted to be teacher. When I was little, I had my own pretend classroom and my own pretend class. It wasn’t until middle school, however, that I began to explore the world of music and what it had to offer for me as a person. Band opened up an entire new chapter in my life. It’s given me hope, courage, confidence, and peace—things that I’ve never expe- rienced at the same time before with any other activity. I just knew that band was different, it felt different. By the time I fin- ished my freshman year in high school, I decided that I wanted to become a band director so I could share the joys of music with young students.
June M. Hinckley Music Education Scholarship Recipient
I knew that this would be such a perfect fit since I loved teaching so much as well as making music for others to enjoy. Being a music educator would allow me to open the eyes of stu- dents to the cultural and emotional impacts that music can have on an individual. I began to see my capabilities as an educator while serving on my high school band’s leadership council, specifically, as a drum major. I had to have a great knowledge of music, music theory, score analysis, and how to achieve beauti- ful overall band sonority. Needless to say, this was not an easy job. However, my peers came to respect me and recognize that I was invested and dedicated to pursuing greatness. As a music educator I would be dedicated to my students, fun, inviting, and most importantly, passionate about what I do.
I have a great passion for teaching music. I’ve always loved music and how it’s helped me as a student. It’s helped through dark periods in my life and through school as well. My passion for teaching includes teaching music, as well as its impacts on an individual. However, my passion for teaching also goes beyond the classroom setting. I wish to help shape mature young adults that can conquer any challenges that they may face. This is what high school band has done for me, and so I wish to continue this for my future students. I also wish to help those in need. Music can serve as a sanctuary for those facing trouble in life, and I would love to be able to offer that for my students if it
meant that they would feel better and would smile a little bit more every day. I’ve witnessed students in my high school band program that have become happier because of band. I know that as a music educator, it would be my responsibility to make sure that my students remain happy with the music they make, but also with the person that they are becoming. I have such a desire to be there for students because I know just how much that has meant to me over the years. Just having someone that can listen to one’s worries and troubles, and to have someone that can care
Continued on page 18
August 2020 17
Mark Stevens
Continued from page 17
for one during tough times can mean a lot to a student. I have the desire to be the person that a student needs.
I personally feel that music is a vital part of a student’s education. It helps students build maturity, organizational skills, and concentration. Studies over the years have shown that students who take music classes in high school and/ or participate in music clubs/organiza- tions in high school tend to make better grades, be more organized, and are less likely to get arrested later in life. Many people don’t realize the benefits of music education and take it for granted. In my home school district (St. Johns), we are known for being the top school district in the state of Florida. However, when it comes to our music appreciation, we fall just short of where I wish our school district should be. We have fantastic band and choir programs in our county; it’s just that some programs aren’t funded as greatly as they should be. I feel that no program should be slighted the chance to make an impact on a student’s life due to financial strains and challenges. My hope is that my home school district, and other
districts across the country, can respect and support our school music programs equally so that every student has an equal opportunity to pursue greatness and to see how music can benefit themselves as well as their friends and families.
I was very fortunate to attend a school where the arts were greatly respected. However, this was not quite the case in the beginning as an incoming freshman. I walked into a band program that had suffered from financial hardships, major director turnover, and a mostly unsup- portive student body from the school itself. This hurt me deeply as I saw other groups around the school (like sports teams and academic clubs) that were being respected, honored, and supported by the students, staff, and community. I always promised myself that one day this program that I cherished greatly would be respected and admired by many. I’m happy to write that this did happen. My junior year started to see some increase in respect with more school involvement (pep rallies, etc.), but my senior year was the pinnacle of this. The band was requested for many more events around
the school (freshmen orientation, more pep rallies, more parades, etc.). It was a great experience to be able to have the support of the students, staff, and com- munity. It made me even prouder to serve as the drum major for my high school band. It meant so much more to be part of a band program that supported others and brought the best out in its members, as well as outside supporters. My wish is that every music program can receive the same amount of respect, honor, and support because it makes the experience that much more memorable.
As I’m writing this essay, my emotions are taking the best of me as I’m reflecting on all that I have lost this second semes- ter due to COVID-19. I have lost my last state solo & ensemble performance, my last high school band concert, my last St. Augustine (community) concert band con- cert, my last high school band banquet, my last prom, and even a traditional grad- uation. I never would have thought that something like this would have happened to a kid like me. It’s times like these, how- ever, that make us stronger—and if music has taught me anything, it’s to stay strong and push through any obstacles you come across. Without music and music educa- tion, I don’t think that I would be able to get through a time like this. I think that many students would lose hope and would feel lost and abandoned. Music has kept us, though. It has shown us that there will be better days and that no matter what, we will be happy.
I wish to become a music educator because I want to be able to cherish more magical moments with young students. I wish to offer music in schools to stu- dents who desperately need it and who rely on it each and every day. I wish to serve my community and family well. Music has done that for me. The very least I could do would be to give back to those that I love.
18 Florida Music Director
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August 2020 21
Music Teacher
Evaluation by
Non-Music
Administrators
by Jeffery B. Redding and Eileen McGonigal
TTeacher evaluation continues to be a “hot topic,” not only in the education community, but seemingly everywhere. It is conten- tiously debated among politicians. One only needs to look at social media or online forums to conclude that everyone seems to have their own opinion about how to best evaluate teachers. To compound the issue, many administrators are expected to evaluate teachers in subject areas for which they have no exper- tise or even a basic level of understanding. A popular line of reasoning is that “good teaching is good teaching, regardless of the subject.” Using this widely held belief, non-music eval- uators, therefore, should be able to accurately and correctly evaluate music teachers by observing them teach. Although a “good teaching is good teaching” approach to teacher evaluation provides an accurate measure of some components of effective teaching, crucial aspects of effective teaching in music may be overlooked. The education of our students and the future live- lihood of teaching professionals are too important to overlook what systematic, scientific research has found.
What does the research say about music teacher evaluations by administrators/evaluators who are not specially trained in music? Jeffery B. Redding (2011) completed research on the perception of teacher effectiveness and discovered some par- ticularly eye-opening results. Redding’s study focused on three primary areas of observational teacher evaluation: (1) accuracy/ inaccuracy of instruction; (2) high/low teacher delivery; and (3) on/off task student behavior. In this study, experienced
22 Florida Music Director
Continued on page 24
August 2020 23
Music Teacher Evaluation by Non-Music Administrators Continued from page 22
non-music teachers, experienced music teachers, college music students, and high school students all viewed pre- viously recorded video segments of music teaching. Expectedly, the results of Redding’s study indicated that teaching with accurate instruction, high teach- er delivery, and on-task student behav- ior resulted in high evaluative ratings from all groups of evaluators, regardless of their musical background. Likewise, teaching with inaccurate instruction, low delivery, and off-task student behavior resulted in very low evaluative ratings. This is what we would expect from all evaluators. It is clear from these results, however, that the evaluative component of teacher delivery seems to hold more weight and “overwrite” the other areas of teacher evaluation.
High Teacher Delivery
Teacher delivery includes observable behaviors that accompany instruction. Observable aspects of high teacher delivery include maintaining eye con- tact with students; varying the volume and pitch of voice; maintaining good posture; using facial expression through raising eyebrows, widening eyes, and smiling; and exuding a high degree of energy. Conversely, low delivery behav- iors include an audible voice but very little inflection and variation in volume; poor posture; indifferent facial expres- sions with a lack of eyebrow movement and smiling; and lethargic, dull, and sluggish energy. The teaching segments with high teacher delivery received the highest teacher ratings by all evaluators, regardless of whether the students were on task or off task. Even when a teach- er’s classroom management was lacking, evaluators still rated the teacher higher when the teacher displayed engaging and exciting delivery. Thus, evaluators were willing to overlook students’ off-
24 Florida Music Director
task behavior, an important component of effective teaching, when information was presented in an interesting way with high delivery.
Teaching with high delivery may also cause some evaluators to overlook another extremely important component of effective teaching. In Redding’s (2011) study, the experienced non-music teach- ers’ group was greatly affected by teacher delivery and not influenced by the accu- racy of instruction. The only groups to rate the teachers ineffective when the instruction was inaccurate were the col- lege music students and the experienced music teachers. The ratings of experienced music teachers were most affected by the accuracy of teacher instruction in evalu- ations of teacher effectiveness than any other evaluative group.
These findings are not entirely new. In a series of well-known studies referred to as the “Dr. Fox” studies, a professional actor (under the guise of Dr. Myron L. Fox) gave an extremely entertaining and char- ismatic lecture that included nonsensical and inaccurate content to an audience of educators and professionals. The audience gave Dr. Fox extremely high evaluative ratings for his lecture, suggesting that
regardless of content, potential learners can be seduced into thinking they learned as long as the content information is deliv- ered with enthusiasm (Naftulin, Ware, & Donnelly, 1973). The original Dr. Fox lectures can be viewed with simple web searches (for example, see https://you tu.be/RcxW6nrWwtc ).
It is in this way that high delivery skills may have an overall greater effect on the perceived effectiveness of a teacher in comparison to other teaching charac- teristics, such as precise and extensive knowledge of the subject matter. In anoth- er music research study (Madsen, 1999), accuracy of teacher instruction, student attentiveness, and teacher delivery were examined as they affected the effective- ness ratings of teachers. In this study, teachers received high evaluations when the delivery was high and the students were on task, even when the information presented was incorrect. All evaluators attended to teacher delivery more than accuracy of instruction and students’ on- or off-task behavior. Like Redding’s (2011) study, high teacher delivery was again rated as being more effective than accu- rate subject matter in Madsen’s (1999) study.
Correct and Accurate
Subject Matter
Unfortunately, inaccuracy of infor- mation may not always be noticed by evaluators since it is typically examined alongside teacher delivery and is often evaluated by experts without specific music knowledge. Because of this lack of content-specific knowledge, problems may arise when experts in education are evaluating educators who are teaching subject matter outside of the evaluator’s expertise. This would appear to pres- ent a considerable problem, as students could be learning wrong material with incorrect information taught. It could be potentially problematic for an evaluator to assess a beginning music teacher and not recognize if and when inaccurate instruction occurs. Additionally, it can be frustrating for expert music teachers to endure an administrator’s misevalu- ations when the administrator does not understand aspects of the lesson—for example, when academic content is being presented in a music lesson or rehearsal. Administrators’ evaluations, while con- tributing expert advice regarding deliv- ery and classroom management tech- niques, offer little to evaluate the accura- cy of the content.
Student Ratings vs. Student Achievement
Research data have indicated that instruc- tor delivery impacts student ratings of instructors substantially, yet it has little effect on student achievement. Conversely,
teaching content impacts student achieve- ment substantially while it has less effect on student ratings of instructors (Abrami, Leventhal, & Perry, 1982). Based upon this information, it is important to decide why educators are being evaluated in the first place. Are we evaluating educa- tors to boost student evaluations of the teacher, or are we evaluating teachers to assess a teacher’s potential impact on stu- dent learning? If accurate content has the greatest effect on student achievement, then it is imperative that educators teach correct content. Correct subject matter, therefore, is crucial to the assessment of music teacher effectiveness. If non-mu- sically trained teacher evaluators are unable to identify when subject matter is inaccurate, then evaluations need to be administered by musically trained experts who can differentiate between accurate and inaccurate subject matter.
Because music teachers in many states are evaluated by school administrators and other education personnel who may not be familiar with a music teacher’s subject matter, it would be prudent for school districts nationwide to incorpo- rate evaluations of “special area” teach- ers by specialists within their respective academic areas. Additionally, music and other related subject area teachers should educate evaluators about what their stu- dents are learning, especially if the evalu- ator lacks appropriate content knowledge in a teacher’s particular field. For exam- ple, a music teacher could provide lesson plans in advance of an evaluation that
clearly define and explain the musical academic material that will be taught. Although this additional documentation may be cumbersome and take addition- al time, the benefits to students will be worthwhile.
Jeffery B. Redding,
PhD, recipient of the
2019 GRAMMY Music
Educator Award, is the
director of choral activ-
ities at the University
of Central Florida. Dr.
Redding is in demand nationally and inter- nationally as a guest conductor, speaker, and clinician. He has been honored with multiple awards for his achievements and service to the profession.
Throughout her 16 years
of teaching, Eileen
McGonigal has taught
band, orchestra, and gui-
tar at the elementary,
middle, high school, and
college levels. She recent-
ly graduated from Florida State University with the PhD and is the new director of bands and assistant professor of music at Central College in Pella, Iowa.
References
Abrami, P. C., Leventhal, L., & Perry, R. P. (1982). Educational seduction. Review of Educational Research, 52(3), 446-464. https:// doi.org/10.2307/1170425
Madsen, K. (1999). The effect of accurate/inaccurate teacher instruction, high/low teacher delivery, and on/off task student behavior on musicians’ evalu- ation on teacher effectiveness. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Naftulin, D. H., Ware, J. E., Jr., & Donnelly, F. A. (1973). The Doctor Fox lecture: A para- digm of educational seduction. Journal of Medical Education, 48, 630-635. https://doi. org/10.1097/00001888-197307000-00003
Redding, J. B. (2011). The effect of choral conductor intensity on the perception of teacher effectiveness (Publication No. 3483596) [Doctoral disser- tation, Florida State University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
August 2020 25
Practical Strategies
Ensemble Motivation Mand Growth
26 Florida Music Director
for
by Kari Adams
Motivation is an ever-present concern in the classroom, and teachers are often frustrated when motivation strategies branded as quick fixes work only for a brief time or with a few students. With a basic understanding of the components of motivation, teachers can create or find strategies that have a lasting impact on students. This understanding, however, is difficult to attain, as the motivation literature is vast and can be challenging to wade through. Most researchers agree that people are motivated when they believe a task has intrinsic value, take part in a healthy culture, and experience feelings of competence (Pink, 2009). Therefore, effective motivation strategies are ones that communicate value through intrinsic motivation, connectedness to a motivating culture, and com- petence through emphasizing growth.
Value: Intrinsic Motivation
Tangible rewards such as prizes, candy, or redeemable ticket systems may appear effective because they can yield imme- diate results; however, those results are often short-lived, and psychologists have consistently found that rewards have a long-term negative effect on intrinsic motivation (e.g., Lepper et al., 1973; Deci et al., 1999). When the rewards are gone or no longer valued by the students, motivation disappears. Encouraging students to be intrinsically motivated may take more effort and creativity but will provide lasting results.
intrinsic
connectedness
Students are intrinsically motivated when they find a task to be challeng- ing, relevant, and valuable (Pink, 2009). To encourage intrinsic motivation, teach- ers can assign tasks at the proper level of challenge and help students make connections between tasks and goals. For example, Pink recommended using “DIY (do it yourself) report cards” (p. 188), a strategy in which students grade themselves in a variety of skills and pro- vide a short summary of their progress throughout the semester. Students could use the report cards to compare their self-assessments with teacher assess- ments, set goals for the coming semester, or serve as springboards for student-led parent-teacher conferences.
Rewards in the form of praise or expe- riences, rather than physical objects, can motivate students without harm. Teachers can reward students with activities that promote a love of music, such as allowing students to perform a favorite piece in the last few minutes of class, setting aside
a day to perform student-chosen solos or small ensembles, or providing a day for students to engage in their own indi- vidual or small group musical projects. These rewards are especially effective when delivered intermittently and unex- pectedly. If-then rewards can encourage students to weigh the action against the value of the reward or develop a sense of entitlement, but intermittent rewards are unexpected gifts.
Connectedness:
Highly Motivating Culture
Often conversations about motivation focus on individual behavior; however, group culture can have a strong impact on how individuals behave. A healthy, motivating culture can positively impact individual behavior, commitment, and motivation. Author Daniel Coyle (2018), in his exploration of motivating corporate cultures, found several common founda- tional concepts required to build a highly
Continued on page 28
August 2020 27
Practical Strategies for Ensemble Motivation and Growth
Continued from page 27
motivating culture. According to Coyle, cultures that motivate individual mem- bers are ones that communicate safety and belonging, encourage vulnerability and growth, and orient behavior of group members toward shared goals.
Music educators can communi- cate safety and belonging by building relationships with individual students and encouraging relationship-building among students. Encouraging students to take risks and make mistakes without detrimental consequences communicates safety. Music educators can also commu- nicate safety and belonging by promoting student voice and autonomy; encouraging students to participate in error detection, strategy identification, or co-teaching can prioritize students’ voices. Students can also have a voice in repertoire selection, community outreach planning, and cre- ation of the class mission statement. It is important for educators to remember
that they will never have an accurate assessment of the culture they are cre- ating unless they ask students how they are experiencing that culture; therefore, teachers must invite students to share their opinions and feedback regarding classroom culture.
Strategies that work to break down the wall between conductor and student encourage vulnerability. When teachers admit mistakes openly or actively seek feedback from students, they are dis- playing vulnerability. Although these are simple practices, they are not necessarily easy. It can be frightening to ask students for feedback on our teaching practices; however, providing students with a voice in their own education will serve both educators in their pedagogical growth and students in their commitment to the class or ensemble.
The inclusion of students in goal set- ting and evaluation is another way to dis-
play vulnerability. Before embarking on a new unit of study, invite students to select group goals, outline their responsibili- ties in reaching those goals, and provide feedback on what they need from the teacher to reach their goals. At the end of the unit, semester, or concert, engage stu- dents again in reflection on whether they met their goals and what they would do differently next time. Involving students in these discussions is highly motivating and also can be transformative to teach- ing. In my own classroom, conversations with insightful, intelligent, and commit- ted students have been integral to my growth as an educator.
Finally, highly motivating cultures ori- ent behavior toward a shared purpose. One simple way to begin thinking about shared purpose is to invite students to create a mission statement. Begin by working as an ensemble to name and rank the group’s priorities. Ask students
competence
28 Florida Music Director
to consider who they are as a culture, why they do what they do, and what their primary goals are. Consider not only how the ensemble will function as a performance group, but also how it can serve the school and the community and how students can connect with others on the regional, state, or global stage. Then, continually communicate these priorities to students in the form of concrete exam- ples. Describing behaviors that align with the priorities set by the ensemble can help orient behaviors toward the shared goal.
Competence: Growth Mindset
In the book Mindset, Dweck (2007) pre- sented over three decades’ worth of research in the field of competence moti- vation. According to Dweck, people con- ceive of their abilities and potential as either fixed or malleable, and this belief influences the types of goals people set, the way they respond to setbacks, and the decisions they make about future involvement in an activity. People with a fixed mindset believe that their abil- ities are due to natural talents and are unchangeable. Individuals with a fixed mindset are likely to select easy activities, primarily intended to show their talent, and to give up in the face of setbacks. Those with a growth mindset are likely to select challenging activities, intended to bring about growth, and to persist through obstacles.
It is difficult to motivate students to take on challenges if they believe their musical ability is a fixed trait. Teaching a growth mindset allows students to expe- rience feelings of competence in the face of challenging tasks. Several authors in music education have explored the impor- tance of a growth mindset (Davis, 2017; Davis & Persellin, 2017) as well as ways to teach a growth mindset in secondary ensembles (Adams, 2019).
Dweck (2007) encouraged educators to model a growth mindset for students. Music educators could involve students in their growth process by sharing their personal musical or instructional goals with students and inviting feedback when trying a new strategy. Helping students track growth is another powerful tool for encouraging a growth mindset. As students track their own progress over time, they see that musical abilities are skills that change with practice. Music education researcher Droe (2013) found that providing students with effort-re- lated feedback influenced students’ goal setting and their motivation to practice. Participants who received praise for their effort rather than their talent were more likely to select challenging rhythms and to engage in home practice. Using feed- back in rehearsal that focuses on effort communicates to students that musical skills can improve with practice.
Conclusion
Although some motivation strategies appear to be quick fixes, they may be detrimental to the value students place on musical activities in the long run. The strategies outlined here are sustain- able and encourage commitment to music making because of its intrinsic value. It is important to recognize that this path is not easy. Building on intrinsic motivation requires patience and dedication from the teacher, a healthy culture requires main- tenance, and teaching a growth mindset requires constant reflection on the strat- egies used and feedback provided in the classroom. Additionally, even in the ideal classroom, students are human and will, therefore, not feel motivated at all times.
Enacting these strategies is challeng- ing, and it can be tempting to revert to tangible, if-then rewards and quick fixes during the transition period; however, the long-term benefits far outweigh the
short-term costs. The ideal classroom is not one that forces students to comply, but one that allows students to flour- ish. Dedication to these strategies will result in an environment that provides the space, opportunity, and encouragement students need to grow in their musical knowledge and skill.
Kari Adams, PhD, is
assistant professor of choral
music education at Florida
State University and con-
ductor of the FSU Women’s
Glee Club. Prior to her
appointment at FSU, Dr. Adams completed the PhD in music education at the University of North Texas. She is a passionate educator, conductor, clinician, and researcher.
References
Adams, K. (2019). Developing growth mind- set in the ensemble rehearsal. Music Educators Journal, 105(4), 21-27. https://doi. org/10.1177/0027432119849473
Coyle, D. (2018). The culture code: The secrets of highly successful groups. Random House.
Davis, V. W. (2017). Error reflection: Embracing growth mindset in the general music class- room. General Music Today, 30(2), 11-17. https:// doi.org/10.1177/1048371316667160
Davis, V. W., & Persellin, D. (2017). Harnessing the power of failure in your music class- room: Grit, growth mindset, and greatness. Southwestern Musician, 85(7), 68-73.
Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., & Koestner, R. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychology Bulletin, 125(6), 627-668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033- 2909.125.6.627
Droe, K. L. (2013). Effect of verbal praise on achievement goal orientation, motivation, and performance attribution. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 23(1), 63-78. https://doi. org/10.1177/1057083712458592
Dweck, C. S. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books.
Lepper, M., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic rewards: A test of the ‘over- justification’ hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28(1), 129-137. https:// doi.org/10.1037/h0035519
Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Riverhead Books.
August 2020 29
New Year of New Perspectives
The 2019-20 school year has been a huge shake-up to the education system as a whole. Teachers, stu- dents, parents, and all educational stake- holders were given too many variables to address in a short amount of time. Many school districts worked over their entire educational delivery platform in a matter of days. The switch to statewide distance learning was not easy. Though we have ended the last school year and are looking to begin our journey into the next school year under many new con- ditions of reopening, it is important that we learn from the things we were able to do during our experience in distance learning.
During the original shutdown at the end of the 2019-20 school year, music teachers across the state were asked to transition our performance-based edu- cation medium to an online platform. Though I imagine almost the entire- ty of the music education population would have preferred to finish the year
by Jason Thomashefsky, EdD, Chairman FEMEA Member Engagement
strong and at school, extraordinary pos- itives emerged that cannot be dismissed. These positives should be celebrated and expanded upon in hopes not only to sur- vive in the new reopening situations but to THRIVE.
It is important to note that many music educators may have experienced setbacks and may have feelings of anxiety and stress about the upcoming school year. Though these stressors are real and play a huge role in our decision making mov- ing forward, it is important to identify the positive things we can build upon that have emerged during this crisis. Arts such as music education play such a critical role in our school system that we owe it to all of our students and stake- holders to continue to grow and perform our best, even during this pandemic. Let’s take a look at the positives gained, the new skills learned, and the ideas that came about during our distance learning adventure and consider ways to apply them going into the next school year.
Below are some of the ways I myself or colleagues of mine thrived during distance learning that I believe can be expanded upon moving forward.
The first example of thriving during distance learning was the increased con- nection I experienced to my colleagues in our field. Music educators are used to act- ing like they are on a desert island. All too often, elementary general music teachers are the only teachers of their subject area in the school. They may drift from building to building, and rarely are given the opportunity to have meaningful col- laboration time with peers teaching their same subject. During quarantine, howev- er, I began to hear stories of music teach- ers finally having the chance to meet with larger groups because of the reliance on software such as Zoom and Google Meet. The camaraderie experienced by my fel- low teachers in Lee County was not just an anomaly in our area of the state. Other groups of teachers have found the time to meet and collaborate. Developing strong
30 Florida Music Director
“During quarantine, however, I began to hear stories of music teachers finally having
the chance to meet with larger groups because of the re”liance on software such as Zoom and Google Meet.
“Music educators sought to
experience as possible.
give the students of our st”
ate as close to an authentic, live
relationships and sharing ideas with our colleagues is a great practice that should be continued into the next school year as often as we can. Though we may not have the amount of time given to us during the original distance learning experience, our connection to others in our subject area gives us inspiration and resiliency to continue to deliver relevant and needed music content to our students.
Another great positive of adapting to the new way of teaching was the involve- ment of parents. Now I understand that the switch to online learning leads to many students not getting equitable access to music education. In some cases, students were left out of the arts altogeth- er. However, in areas where music was allowed to continue, many teachers saw the music-at-home connection get stron- ger during distance learning. Parents who normally get a “school was good” com- ment from their students actually saw what was going on in their classes. This was especially true in the virtual music room. Tech programs such as Flipgrid gave parents the chance to see what we actually do during our lessons. Parents in my online classroom were challenged to participate in activities with their stu- dents. Because of this, I saw parents, siblings, and other relatives taking part in the various musical activities I assigned
to my students to record themselves per- forming at home. This type of music edu- cation experience would not have been possible if not for distance learning.
Lastly, the ability to learn and incor- porate new skills to help deliver quality music education cannot be overlooked. Music educators sought to give the stu- dents of our state as close to an authentic, live experience as possible. This caused many of us to seek various types of music engineering, recording, and video editing software to create virtual ensembles. We looked for alternative ways to deliver our lessons in various webinar-style formats. The sale of green screens went up across our country, and I imagine it is because teachers were looking for ways to spice up their instructional delivery videos. These new skills that we used to thrive during distance learning should not be forgotten and set aside as we return to school this fall. We should continue to grow and cultivate our skill sets to further enhance our teaching.
Though the above situations were some of my own experiences of thriving during the events of the past year, I am almost certain you have success stories of your own. Please consider taking the time to reflect on those experiences and use them as fuel to continue to grow as an educator. How can you use them this upcoming
school year? How can you build upon the great things that happened during distance learning into this next semester? Will you be willing to share your great ideas with others who may be struggling? What resources are you going to update and what practices are you going to dis- miss? What opportunity are you going to take to make yourself a better educator?
If we grow and thrive with this pro- fession and continue to make music edu- cation a relevant part of the total educa- tional experience, we make our case and advocate for our jobs. We music educators will continue to thrive and our bonds will continue to develop if we continue to focus on the positives and absolutely look toward making this a great school year.
Jason Thomashefsky,
EdD, is an elementary
music educator in Ft.
Myers, Florida, and has
served for nine years as a
music teacher at Rayma
C. Page Elementary School. He received his undergraduate degrees in music education and jazz studies from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. In addition, he received the MS in neuroscience and psychol- ogy and the EdD in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
August 2020 31
The New ‘HOW’ in Online Music Education by Shannon Stem, Chairwoman
FEMEA District 6
Back-to-school brings a myriad of emotions to both students and teachers. I always start the school year excited, desiring my music students to reach the goals we create together. This year adds to the excitement a mix of fear and uneasiness as we continue to find ourselves teaching in the middle of a pandemic full of unknowns. I imagine THIS is where most of us are finding ourselves. And that is to be expected.
With this new climate for teaching, we are presented with many wonderful opportunities. We all know the value of what it is we do with our students on a daily basis, and now, whether you are preparing to teach music in-person again or online, we are able to more freely share music education with not only our students, but their parents and communities as well. At the beginning of our stay-at-home order last school year, music teachers shared creative ideas and lesson plans with each other. This is just the beginning of the ingenuity we will discover this school year.
Whether your school utilized Quaver, Seesaw, Google Classroom, or even paper and pencil assignments, you and your music content were the bright spot in your students’ days. More students completed the assignments than we thought or saw; more parents were actively involved in singing, dancing, and making music; and now more than ever the students are eagerly awaiting music with you. Knowing this, I plan to revisit all of the topics that are challenging for our young brains to comprehend and remember, and plan to revamp the way I have been teaching them. If we are unable to sing as much as we did before, we can use movement. If we cannot use as many
32 Florida Music Director
instruments as before, we can use body percussion. Instead of focusing on whether or not we can have our music productions and showcases, we are able to focus on teaching music funda- mentals, and THAT is something to be celebrated!
It is time for us to collaborate with one another, to reach out to our district chairpersons and the FEMEA board, and to truly embody the mission of FEMEA—to unite and support music educators in order to provide the highest quality comprehensive music education for all children. We are all in this together!
Shannon Stem is the music teacher at
University Academy in Panama City, Florida.
She graduated from Troy University with the
BME. She has been teaching elementary music
for the last eight years. She serves as the district
chairwoman for FEMEA District 6, has served
on several revision committees for the Florida
Teacher Certification Exam in Music, and has served on her local music committee in multiple capacities. In 2017, Shannon Stem was named Hutchison Beach Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year and has since taken on roles within her district as a mentor teacher to beginning teachers and those new to the area.
Ernesta Chicklowski is president of Florida Elementary Music Educators Association. She can be reached at (813) 272-3090 or [email protected]
ComponentNews
FLORIDA VOCAL ASSOCIATION
Jason Locker, President
And just like that, another summer comes to an end and another school year begins. Amid all of the planning, selecting music, working on calendars, setting up classrooms, and meeting new students and parents, I hope you are refreshed and ready to meet the demands of a new year with joy and a renewed sense of mission and purpose.
That was how I began my FMD column a year ago. From a distance, August 2019 and August 2020 look very different, but if you zoom in and look closely, they are more similar than you might think. What has not changed (and I suspect never will) is that our students need to connect with their world through music, and that they are led by passionate choral music educators who have poured themselves into seeking out the resources and under- standing to provide their students with the safest and most meaningful musical experiences possible in our current envi- ronment.
As an association, FVA is making the necessary adjustments to continue offer- ing its programs and services to members and students. Some of our programs will look much different, due to necessary physical distancing requirements or a transition to virtual/digital platforms. Making these changes to our usual procedures with regard to auditions, honor choirs, assessments, and meetings requires a huge effort from many people. Thank you to all of our board members for their many hours in support of this process! Stay tuned, as you will receive more information about new procedures as those details are confirmed throughout the year.
I would like to take this opportuni- ty to thank Janet Edewaard, Kristi Fish, Ashley Leland, Ashley Lewis, Jennifer Rock, Wesley Roy, and Solangi Santiago, who have completed their terms as dis- trict chairpersons. We welcome Brady Boardman, Alex Glover, Jessica Mongerio,
Cristina Morales, Lisa Testa, Carmella Turner, and Charlotte Walters as new dis- trict chairpersons. We also welcome Brad Franks to the board as the new chairman of the Past Presidents’ Advisory Council. Finally, I am happy to report that the board has selected Michael Dye as FVA’s next executive director. Mike will work alongside Mark Scott during the upcom- ing school year, officially taking over as executive director on July 1, 2021.
Like many of you, I value organization and planning, but I also thrive on prob- lem solving and overcoming challenges. There have been—and will continue to be—some discouraging moments as we adjust to change this year. I firmly believe, however, that we will make it through this time, and will emerge stronger and better because of it. With that belief in our hearts, let us once again prepare to meet the demands of a new year with joy, and with a renewed sense of mission and purpose!
August 2020 33
ComponentNews
FLORIDA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION
Matthew Davis, President
members at no charge. Please stay tuned
for more information about this exciting opportunity!
The Florida Orchestra Association is dedicated to supporting you and your orchestra program. I welcome your feed- back and ideas about all areas in which FOA is involved. Feel free to email me at [email protected]. Let me know how FOA can better serve your needs!
I wish you, your students, and your families good health, happiness, and ful- fillment this school year.
Ihope you found time during the sum- mer to rest, restore, and reflect after a highly unusual spring semester. This will indeed prove to be a very different school year, with many challenges ahead. Remember this: Music has prevailed through many challenging times in our past, and music will continue to prevail this year and beyond! The importance of our service to our students as music and arts teachers cannot be overestimated in times such as these. The teaching may look different, but the students and the music will always be in the forefront.
I am very thankful for a phenome- nal FOA leadership team. Understand we are working very hard to provide the support you need during this chang- ing landscape. Know you have dedicated and extremely talented individuals on the FOA Executive Board working for your success. I want to thank Past President Jason Jerald, President-Elect Carol Griffin, as well as Executive Director Donald Langland for their countless hours of work and support. Please know you are in good hands.
As you prepare for the new school year, please review the upcoming regis- tration deadlines. FMEA/NAfME/FOA membership dues must be postmarked by September 12 or paid online by September 21. All-state registration/eli- gibility information can be found on the FMEA website (FMEA.org ) or the FOA website (myfoa.org ). Many thanks to Brian Hellhake and his committee for their work on the all-state audition music. Audition music is available for download from the FOA website. Please refer to the all-state audition page for the latest information, including any errata in the audition music. Please note that the all- state recording window has moved to the week of September 27. Check with your district chairperson for the recording
34 Florida Music Director
date in your district. In addition to your FOA/FMEA dues, please ensure your FSMA dues are paid so your students are eligible to participate in any MPAs this coming year.
Unfortunately, due to the virus, the FOA/FLASTA Fall Conference will not meet at the Hilton Orlando this year. Instead, the fantastic professional devel- opment sessions will be recorded and moved to the FOA website to be accessed on demand. These sessions will be pass- word protected and available to all FOA
FLORIDA MUSIC SUPERVISION ASSOCIATION
Harry “Skip” Pardee, President
When discussing music education advocacy, a wise mentor of mine once said: “Unless you have a seat at the table, you are actually on the menu.” The proverbial table these days comprises superintendents, district-level leader- ship, curriculum staff, teachers, and health professionals, all meeting to discuss what school programs will look like when the school year begins. By now, deci- sions have been made that are (and have been) extremely difficult to make, with no perfectly clear resolution in sight. That is why the Florida Music Supervision Association has done its very best to try to remain at the table during this diffi- cult decision-making process.
Each week, music program leaders from across our state have met virtually to discuss the progress made in each community and to share resources with one another. The work this team has done over the past six months is nothing short of astounding! From guidance documents to equipment purchases, curriculum changes, learning management system coordination, staffing concerns, and so much more—music supervisors and program leaders in Florida are working tremendously hard on ensuring a robust arts education for Florida’s students.
Meaningful conversations about the importance of music education are hap- pening all around us. Despite the recent challenges, our profession is united and committed to arts education. Students truly need what the arts provide, and you are the catalyst providing it. Please know that during this interesting time, FMSA is here to assist you in any way possible. FMSA is committed to assisting not only those districts fortunate enough to have a district-level program leader, but all districts in Florida. If our organization can be of assistance to you and your crucial work, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Have a wonderful school year!
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
FLORIDA NAfME COLLEGIATE
Mark A. Belfast, Jr., PhD, Advisor
Well ... here we are. August 2020. The start of another academic year, and what a year it promises to be! The coronavirus pandemic has turned our world upside down. Few things today are as they were at this time in 2019. It is absolutely mind-blowing how much can change in a single year: the way we meet, the places we eat, how we shop, the way we do school and go to church ... the list seems endless. How do you measure the change you’ve experienced? In friends? Followers? Afternoon walks with your dad?
In the United States, the COVID-19 crisis forced all of us to slow down, and in those still, quiet moments, many people heard the voices of their neighbors who had been crying out for justice, peace, equality, and liberty for centuries. The last six months have hit the American social, political, and cultural scenes like a tidal wave, and we’ve all been forced to reeval- uate our norms, our biases, and the things we hold to be self-evident. I hope you use this time to read some books, watch some documentaries, and otherwise edu- cate yourself on the issues affecting our country, and yes, you, today. Many of us have certainly had to reimagine how we do what we do, and ensure we do it with empathy and integrity—and well! How do you measure your knowledge, or lack thereof, of the social, political, and cul- tural history of the small world in which we live?
Despite the inherent discomfort that often accompanies discovery and change, much good has come from these chal- lenging times. With little or no time to prepare, musicians across the country have brilliantly developed musical expe- riences for people of all ages when they needed music the most. Music teachers
provided classes, camps, and workshops via Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms to ensure students continued not only to experience quality music but to further develop their musical knowl- edge and skills. They were joined by countless performing artists around the world who recognized the need for the enriching, invigorating, healing power of music. Whether it was the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble’s sizzling vir- tual band rendition of Cotton Tail or Jimmy Fallon, the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, and The Roots performing
Helpless
from their homes, the music created during this season has been a con- stant reminder of why we do what we do. How do you measure up? What have you done during this time to become a better
musician, educator, human?
2020 has been a long year, quite literal-
ly, and it’s not over yet. As you encounter the many challenges before you this fall, I encourage you to choose joy and love. Love yourself. Love your neighbor. Love your craft. Love the journey. How do you measure a year in the life? Measure in love.
August 2020 35
ComponentNews
FLORIDA BANDMASTERS ASSOCIATION
Ian Schwidt,
President
many of those bands as possible into the FBA community to help make all of us stronger.
In an effort to alleviate any pressure coming from a marching MPA for the school year 2020-21, no band in the state of Florida will be required to participate in marching MPA in order to participate in concert MPA or solo and ensemble MPA. We want you to be able to con- centrate on your program and meet the needs of your students in whatever form that may be. We do not want you to feel any pressure to take your current circum- stances and try to make them fit your program into a traditional year.
Furthermore, as of this writing, school classification will be lowered one clas- sification for the concert MPA literature selection in the spring. This is based on the loss of nine weeks of instruction during spring 2020. This may be modi- fied even more as we see circumstances unfold throughout fall 2020.
As the school year is now upon us, please do not hesitate to reach out to committee chairpersons, your district officers, and the executive committee members with any questions, issues, or ideas. We are all FBA, and this is an opportunity for us to become stronger as an organization. Let’s work together and lift each other up every day. We all work so hard to pour into our students’ lives, so please make sure someone is pouring into your life as well. Find another band director (or even two or three or more) to partner with and build each other up daily. Look for the new band director who is not connected in your district and connect with him or her as well. It is time for all of us to be leaders in our programs, in our schools, and in our organization. We’re all in this together! This will be a great year because we teach music in the state of Florida—together!
First, I want to say thank you. And I want to say it again. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for making the square peg of music edu- cation fit in the round hole of virtual learning. Thank you for keeping music in the lives of your students. Thank you for holding discouragement at bay and continuing to persevere when it seemed hopeless. Thank you for keeping music alive and vibrant in our schools. Thank you for making the magic of music a reality for all of your students despite ridiculous obstacles and challenges.
What a great virtual summer confer- ence we experienced this summer. The presenters brought so many excellent ideas for us to consider and employ, not only for this coming year but through- out our teaching lives! Thank you to Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Dr. Kathy Sanz, Jeanne Reynolds, Ear Peace Foundation, Fourth Wall Ensemble, Tom Bracy, Tara Melvin, Josh Sall, Shawn Barat, Mara Rose, Sheldon McLean, Jason Duckett, Jim Matthews, Kelly Dorsey, Jody Dunn, Keith Griffis, Bernie Hendricks, Fred Schiff, Gary Green, Jason Hatfield, Rich DeRosa, Jeremy Langford, and Jeremy George.
36 Florida Music Director
I have been blessed to hear from so many of you about your conquering of obstacles and your defiance of the odds. And now I want to ask you to share your strategies, discoveries, and ideas. FBA has started a collection of short vid- eos and documents made by our mem- bers of the tips and tricks that helped them successfully teach virtually. If you have already contributed, thank you! If you haven’t yet but would be willing to, please email [email protected] for more information. The submissions we have received are categorized and available on the FBA website. So many great ideas!
Bernie Hendricks, Dr. Shelby Chipman, and Cathi Leibinger put together a thought-provoking Social Equity Forum that is now available to view on our FBA president’s YouTube channel. We highly encourage everyone to watch it and to reflect on the messages as you do. Using this forum as a launching point, we have begun the Band Reclamation Task Force led by Bernie Hendricks. We are going to need everyone’s help in identifying and connecting with bands across our state that may not be currently partic- ipating in FBA. Our goal is to bring as
FLORIDA COLLEGE MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
Marc Decker, DMA, President
I’m writing this article in the last days of June, which is a time of significant uncertainty for music education. Every day I put in my earbuds and go for a long walk to reflect on the many possibilities for the upcoming school year and adap- tations that can keep our students safe. I always feel anxious as I start my walk, but toward the end feel relief having con- sidered anew some aspect of the coming year. Recently, as an exercise in positiv- ity and planning, I decided to focus my thoughts on the certainties for the upcom- ing school year, and this has given me both comfort and conviction.
First, our students are eagerly wait- ing for the upcoming school year. This
summer I asked my student leadership team to host online gatherings for both the current and future members of my ensembles. The result was overwhelming
as students attended in significant num- bers on Google Hangouts, Zoom, Webex, and other online platforms for no other reason than to socialize. Every section started a group chat to stay in touch, and some decided on their own to create fun videos. At first I was surprised, but then came to realize that just like us, our youth had their social lives stripped away by the pandemic. They feel alone and yearn for interaction. Music is inherently inter- active as we perform for others and with others, and our classrooms embody the need for community through music. No matter how significant the modifications to our instruction will look this year, the students will always seek out music.
Second, the challenges we face will be done as a community of educators and all of us are fervently preparing. When I speak with colleagues, it is immediately clear that they are committed to having an outstanding and safe school year. Each of us is exploring a multitude of imaginative plans for how music can be taught safely, and the level of creativity in our field is unprecedented, as is the will- ingness to share ideas. Furthermore, the innovations we implement this year will shape the future of music education long after the pandemic is gone. I’m grateful to work in this field and to be a member of Florida’s music education community. Let’s continue to draw inspiration from each other and trust that united we can accomplish anything.
As I finish each of my long walks, I tend to end on the same thought: We must succeed. All of us as music educa- tors have been touched by music. It has been a source of strength, hope, and reas- surance throughout our lives. We became music teachers to share our love of music with others, and it is more important than ever that we succeed. Stay strong and stay safe!
FLORIDA NAfME COLLEGIATE
Julian Grubb, President
Due to the uncertain times we live in, the State Executive Board has decided that our annual Florida NAfME Collegiate Fall Conference will be held on a virtual platform this October. We are disappointed that we will not be able to physically meet with everyone this year; however, we are working hard to ensure that our members receive the Fall Conference they deserve. We have a lineup of great sessions, such as “Careers in Nontraditional Teaching Situations,” “Exploring the Rockestra,” a session on how to incorporate nontraditional instru- ments into the orchestra setting, and “Discussions With the Music Supervisors,” a panel discussion of Florida music supervisors, proctored by state board mem- bers with questions provided by NAfME collegiate members in real time.
Please make sure to check out our podcast! Our next installment of “Music Talks: Discussions on Music Education” is titled “The History of American Music Education.” In this podcast we learn about the profession’s past and how it can help us understand how it affects our present situation and near future. This episode features the new state advocacy committee members and special guests such as Dr. Steven Kelly (FMEA president) and Dr. Deborah Confredo (professor of music education at Boyer College of Music at Temple University).
Be sure to follow us on Instagram for more information about new initiatives and the Fall Conference, @flnafmecollegiate.
Please stay healthy, and remember, the arts bring us together. Let’s be sure to do our part to make sure we all prosper together!
August 2020 37
CommitteeReports
Including Students With Disabilities
in the Age of COVID-19:
Is Blended Learning the Answer?
On June 11, Governor Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced their plan to reopen Florida schools at “full capacity” for face-to-face learning in fall 2020. Music educators are eager to return to their usual teaching practices while includ- ing new instructional strategies learned during their virtual teaching experiences. However, if cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in Florida, it is likely music educators will incorporate some form of blended learning in their teaching.
Blended learning combines classroom and virtual instruction. Staker and Horn (2012, p. 3) defined blended learning as: “A formal education program in which a student learns, at least in part, through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace, and at least in part, at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.” Critical to the definition of blended learning is that it
Traditional Face-to-Face Classroom Learning
includes an element of student control, “... the ability for students to pause, go back, or skip forward through online content as free agents, ... to choose the time at which they do their online learning, the path they want to take to learn a concept, or even the location from which they want to complete the online work—whether in a brick-and-mortar classroom or anywhere else” (Maxwell, 2016, p.1). It is the adapt- ability and flexibility of blended learning that has made it a frequently recommend- ed instructional approach for students with disabilities.
Blended Learning
Blended learning has been employed as an alternative to instructor-led instruction since the 1970s; though it has been used more frequently in recent years as computers have become more affordable, computer literacy has increased, and more homes have com- puters. Certainly, the potentially chronic nature of COVID-19 has prompted educators
Online Learning
to examine the approach more closely than they might have otherwise. In fact, a recent headline in Forbes read “The Coronavirus Pandemic Has Unleashed A Revolution In Education: From Now On, Blended Learning Will Be the Benchmark” (Dans, 2020). It may or may not become the norm, but it will likely be adopted by many educators until we have determined the end of the coronavirus and the safety of the classroom. Because of the convenience and financial feasibility of Zoom technology for meetings, conferences, and classrooms, some form of virtual academic gatherings will undoubtedly continue even when teachers return to the classroom.
Most blended-learning programs fol- low one of four models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte or Self-Blended, and Enriched Virtual. The Rotation model includes four sub-models: Station Rotation, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation. The following descriptions of these models are fair- ly standard. They are taken from Horn and Staker (2014) and Blended Learning Universe (2020):
Rotation Model. In a rotation model of blended learning, students rotate from in-person learning to online learning on a set schedule or a schedule determined by a teacher. There are four models for how students rotate.
Station Rotation. The Station Rotation model allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed schedule, where at least one of the stations is an online learning station. This model is most common in ele- mentary schools because teachers are
DIVERSE LEARNERS COMMITTEE
Alice-Ann Darrow, PhD,
Chairwoman
38
Florida Music Director
«
Blended Learning
« already familiar rotating in “centers” or stations.
Lab Rotation. This model, like a Station Rotation, allows students to rotate through stations on a fixed schedule; however, online learning occurs in a dedicated computer lab. This model allows for flexible sched- uling arrangements with teachers or
« paraprofessionals, and enables schools to make use of existing computer labs. Flipped Classroom. The Flipped Classroom model flips the traditional relationship between class time and homework. Students learn at home via online coursework and lectures, and teachers use class time for teach- er-guided practice or projects. This model enables teachers to use class time for more than delivering tradi-
« tional lectures and to provide more time for individual assistance. Individual Rotation. The Individual Rotation model allows students to rotate through stations, but on indi- vidual schedules set by a teacher or a software algorithm. Unlike other rotation models, students do not nec- essarily rotate to every station; they rotate only to the activities scheduled on their playlists.
Flex Model. A course or subject in which online learning is the central vehicle for student learning. Students move on an individualized schedule among learn- ing modalities. The teacher of record is on site, and students learn mostly in the classroom, except for any homework assignments. The teacher of record or other adults provide face-to-face support on a flexible and adaptive as-needed basis through activities such as small-group instruction, group projects, and individ- ual tutoring. Some implementations have substantial face-to-face support, whereas others have minimal support.
A La Carte or Self-Blended. A course that a student takes entirely online to accompany other experiences the student is having at a brick-and-mortar school or learning center. The teacher of record for the A La Carte course is the online teacher. Students may take the A La Carte course either on the brick-and-mortar campus or off site. This differs from full- time online learning because students take some courses a la carte and others face to face at a brick-and-mortar campus.
Enriched Virtual. The Enriched Virtual model is an alternative to full-time online school that allows students to complete the majority of coursework online at home or outside of school, but attend school for required face-to-face learning ses- sions with a teacher. Unlike the Flipped Classroom, Enriched Virtual programs
usually do not require daily school atten- dance; some programs may only require twice-weekly attendance, for example.
Blended Learning for Students With Disabilities
An advantage of blended learning for students with disabilities is that various models facilitate small-group instruction that can be tailored to meet students’ indi- vidual needs. As digital natives, today’s students are often more acquainted than their teachers with the various types of technology used in blended learning. Students frequently find technologi- cal devices such as tablets more engag- ing than large-classroom instruction. Students who learn differently are not stigmatized when they struggle with one- size-fits-all instruction, and are allowed
Continued on page 40
August 2020 39
CommitteeReports Continued from page 39
to progress at their own pace and to select methods of instruction that fit their interests and preferred learning modal- ities. Blended learning also supports the philosophy and concepts of differenti- ated instruction by allowing students options for how they will receive instruc- tion and demonstrate what they know. Finally, blended learning provides ways to measure learning until students have reached the required mastery. Students have access to these measures and thus can monitor their learning and develop independence in their progress.
An important part of Universal Design for Learning is the incorporation of technology, a great equalizer for many students with disabilities (CAST, 2020). Examples are software programs that translate text to speech for students who are blind, or that translate speech to text for students who are deaf. Accessibility features are now standard on most com- puters, tablets, and smart phones. These features are, in part, what makes blended learning advisable for students with dis- abilities. These features are often lifelines
40 Florida Music Director
for them, but also are used by their peers for convenience and thus are less stigma- tizing than pull-out services or special education classrooms.
Research on Blended Learning
Researchers Means, Toyama, Murphy, and Baki (2013) found that for the gener- al student population, blended learning may be a more effective learning environ- ment than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. In their meta-analysis of 45 stud- ies on blended learning, the researchers reported that blended learning tended to be more effective than traditional face- to-face learning, and that fully online learning’s effectiveness was equivalent to face-to-face instruction. The meta-analy- sis included only one study on students with disabilities; however, the findings of the one study did demonstrate support for the effectiveness of blended learning for students with disabilities (Englert, Zhao, Dunsmore, Collings, & Wolbers, 2007).
Thompson, Ferdig, and Black (2012) found that when students with disabil- ities were enrolled in exclusively online classrooms, they demonstrated smaller learning gains when compared to the traditional classroom. Consequently, they concluded a blended learning environ- ment was a viable alternative to bet- ter meet the individual needs of stu-
dents with disabilities. Zavaraki and Schneider (2019) conducted a recent sys- tematic review of the research literature on blended learning and students with disabilities and found that computer- and network-based technology can improve academic performances of these students when used in blended learning environ- ments. In addition, their review of the literature revealed that assistive tech- nology, computer-based technology, and network-based technology are the most popular technologies used in a blended learning approach for students with dis- abilities. The researchers concluded that, while more quality studies are needed to support its use, the blended learning approach has considerable potential to support students with disabilities.
Music Technologies Useful for Students With Disabilities
As in general education, blended learning in music education is an instructional approach that incorporates the use of vir- tual learning environments, computers, tablets, and other contemporary technol- ogies. Musicians and persons with dis- abilities have both benefited greatly from advancements in technology. Therefore, it is not surprising that technology would also play a substantial role in the music education of students with disabilities. Various devices such as the SoundbeamTM have allowed students with the most severe disabilities to participate in music making. Inherent in the blended learn- ing approach and its implementation in music classrooms is the use of technol- ogies that can advance the learning of all students, but especially those with disabilities. Sandee Wallace compiled a list of technological resources for teach- ing music to students with disabilities as part of a project for her master’s degree in music therapy at Florida State University. Ms. Wallace previously taught music at
Nina Harris School for students with disabilities in Pinellas Park, Florida. She is particularly gifted at adapting music instruction for students with severe and/ or multiple disabilities. She currently teaches at Governor’s Stem Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. She can be reached at [email protected].
Conclusion
During this time of COVID-19, as with all adversities, we will experience moments of resilience and inspiration, as well as personal and professional growth. Our professional growth will likely include employing new approaches to teaching, adding new software to our collection of teaching tools, and finding levels of inventiveness we didn’t know we pos- sessed. I do believe we will all be togeth- er again and with our students. In the meantime, celebrate good health, person- al security, family, and friends, and keep those without one or more of these good fortunes in your thoughts and hearts. We will overcome. Stay safe, stay well. Our profession needs you, and your students need you and the musical experiences you bring to them. As always, feel free to contact me to request assistance with students who have disabilities or to share your ideas for teaching all of our students with diverse learning needs.
References
Blended Learning Universe (2020). Blended learning models. Retrieved from https:// www.blendedlearning.org/models/
CAST (2020). Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved from http://www. cast.org
Dans, E. (2020). The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a revolution in education: From now on, blended learning will be the benchmark. Forbes Online. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ enriquedans/2020/04/13/the-coronavirus- pandemic-has-unleashed-a-revolution-in-ed- ucation-from-now-on-blended-learning-will- b e - t h e - b e n c h m a r k /# 5 f b 3 7 3 1 a 5 3 6 f
Englert, C. S., Shao, Y., Dunsmore, K., Collings, N. Y., & & Wolbers, K. (2007). Scaffolding the writing of students with disabilities through procedural facilitation: Using an Internet- based technology to improve performance. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30(1), 9-29.
Horn, M. B., Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Retrieved from https://www.blendedlearn- ing.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ 1-Models-of-Blended-Learning.pdf
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., & Baki, M. (2013). The effectiveness of online and blend- ed learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Teachers College Record, 115(3), 1-47.
Maxwell, C. (2016). What blended learning is— and isn’t. Retrieved from Blended Learning Universe at https://www.blendedlearning. org/what-blended-learning-is-and-isnt/
Staker, H., & Horn, M. (2012). Classifying K-12 blended learning. San Mateo, CA: Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
Thompson, L. A., Ferdig, R., & Black, E. (2012). Online schools and children with special health and educational needs: Comparison with performance in traditional schools. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(3): e62. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3384422/
Zavaraki, E. Z., & Schneider, D. (2019). Blended learning approach for students with spe- cial educational needs: A systematic review. Journal of Educational & Social Policy, 6(3), 75-86.
MULTICULTURAL NETWORK
Bruce J. Green, Chairman
As we continue to adjust to the new norms of our local communities, I would like to greet you from the desk of the FMEA Multicultural Network where we will continue to strive forward in efforts to ensure that a quality, comprehen- sive music education experience is available to ALL Florida students. I would be remiss if I did not thank and acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Bernie Hendricks. His unswerving commitment to music education and FMEA is some- thing we can all aspire to. Mr. Hendricks’ love for his family and students shows us every day how to be the best version of ourselves by being a great family man, band director, conversationalist, and downright amazing person. Thank you for your service, Bernie; because of you the Multicultural Network is better.
As the new guy at the helm, allow me to introduce myself to some of you I may or may not have had the pleasure of interacting with. My name is Bruce Green, and I am originally from Lincoln Sr. High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. I had the pleasure of having Ronald Carter as my high school band director. After matriculating at Bethune-Cookman College and earning a degree in music education, I went on to earn an MBA. As of 2019, I am the band director at Jones High School in Orlando. Before that I was the director of bands at Edgewater High School in Orlando for 10 years, and before that my time was spent in elementary and middle schools to span 23 years in the profession.
It is my hope that we will continue to build upon the foundation of excellence laid before us as we continue to make sure that all students have access to quality music education everywhere. Over the next few weeks, months, and maybe years to come, our communities may call upon us to help shape and reshape the way we provide music for all students regardless of their background, social-economic status, religion, or race. In light of all that is going on in our world, we are faced with the reality of race and what our role will be to help facilitate a working environment where all students are safe, respected, and valued. I challenge us to become leaders on the forefront of what our students need as we lead them in seeing the world through another lens.
August 2020 41
CommitteeReports
EMERGING LEADERS COMMITTEE
Mary Palmer, EdD, Chairwoman
This year we Zoomed into the annual FMEA Emerging Leaders Conference. It’s clear that this format made it possible for new Emerging Leaders as well as speakers to join us from throughout the state and beyond. We are happy to wel- come 57 Emerging Leaders representing 18 counties from the Panhandle to Miami.
Incredibly inspiring keynote speaker, Dr. Dré Graham, 2020 Florida Teacher of the Year/Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education and now executive director of the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice for the Florida Department of Education, focused on “Leading through YOUR ‘Why?’” As a result of this talk, Christian Gordon of Broward County came to see his students as the next generation of world changers. Wow! With us from Boston was Anthony Beatrice, executive director for the arts in Boston Public Schools and an exemplar of leading change through transitional times, who emphasized the importance of networking. Based on her take-aways from Mr. Beatrice’s presentation, Nerissa Manela of Miami-Dade County plans to connect with colleagues to develop new ways to address the unique
situations ahead. Pinellas
County Coordinator of Fine
Arts Jeanne Reynolds, FMEA
advocacy chairwoman and
past president, along with
Andrew Burk of St. Johns
County, shared important information and strategies
to empower us all as advo-
cates for music (and the other
arts) education in our schools.
Kalyn Todd of Broward
County especially liked the
tip to use phone messaging(!)
as our most important com- munication device with leg-
islators and other decision
42 Florida Music Director
Pictured are speakers from the FMEA Emerging Leaders Conference: top row—Dr. Steve Kelly, Dr. Mary Palmer, Dr. Kathy Sanz, and
Scott Evans; bottom row—Malissa Baker, Jeanne Reynolds, Dr. Dré Graham,
Debbie Fahmie, and Andrew Burk. Not pictured is Anthony Beatrice.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
makers. Jeanne emphasized the need to vote in the upcoming elections and always to stay actively involved. We are looking forward to a follow-up Zoom Happy Hour to continue developing our abilities to become informed, participa- tory advocates for music education in Florida and across the nation.
We in Florida are fortunate to have great leaders. Our own Dr. Kathy Sanz, president of NAfME, inspired us with the vast array of forward-looking and inspi- rational work being done on the national
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
level. FMEA president and FSU profes- sor of music education, Dr. Steve Kelly, encouraged us to be open/flexible as we look to and navigate an unknown future.
Several of our Zoom participants cited the positivity of this gathering. As we move forward into an unpredictable future, let us keep positivity and flexibil- ity as our mantra as we continue to keep the students and communities we are privileged to serve through music in our hearts and minds. None of us is alone ... reach out to each other for support.
Our special thanks to our planning and leadership team: Scott Evans, senior director of visual and per- forming arts, Orange County Public Schools; Debbie Fahmie, fine arts resource teacher, Osceola County Public Schools (retired) and community volunteer; and Malissa Baker, music teach- er, Manatee County Public Schools.
In spite of the unknown yet anticipated challeng- es of the coming year, let’s remain positive and optimis- tic together!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Scott Evans, Chairman
Here we go! After a tumultuous and trying year for music education, many of us held out hope that this new school year would allow us to return to doing what we do best in the familiar and comfortable way we have always approached music education. It is quite clear now that business will not be back to usual for the 2020-21 school year, and the need for music education to evolve is ever more evident. We can approach this as a frustrating and demoralizing endeavor that will challenge our faith in the profession, or we can look at this as an opportunity to update, enhance, and invigorate our instructional practice.
What remains constant during these challenging times is that we owe it to our students, in whatever environment we are provided, to deliver instruction designed to ensure all students receive the high- est-quality music education possible. We are charged with continuing to spread the joy of music making to as many young people as possible while providing
them the skills to create, perform, and understand music. This is a tall order that requires constant reflection about how we teach, why we teach, and what we teach. This past year was a reminder to all of us about how precious our profession is and how flexible we must all be with our approach to teaching.
The best way to stay flexible and informed as an educator is through professional development. There was an incredible abundance of profession- al development these past few months offered through online classes, blogs, chat rooms, and social media meeting spaces. Music teachers collaborated across the country to share ideas, learn about new technologies, and spend more time get- ting to know the resources provided to them at the local level. There was so much available, it was often difficult to choose what to focus on and how to select the best of those opportunities. This year will likely be no different in regard to the number of offerings. What will be differ-
ent is that you have now lived through a few months of modified instruction and have had time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. As a result, your pro- fessional growth can look different now, based on recent experiences. Pick what works best for you, continue to listen for new and successful ideas, and choose a deliberate path of personal and profes- sional growth toward providing the best music education for your students.
Music education is resilient, as evi- denced by its existence in public schools since the 1830s. COVID-19 is not the end of music education, but an invitation to reconsider what we are teaching and to reexamine our approach to teaching the students who have been placed in our care. Our profession is strong because of our commitment to evolving as educators and our inexhaustible drive to deliver the gift of music education to all stu- dents. Now is the time to reflect, learn, and grow so that we can meet this new opportunity.
August 2020 43
CommitteeReports
AWARDS COMMITTEE
Debbie Fahmie, Chairwoman
Iwould like to start my column by quoting the brilliant words of Dr. Cliff Madsen as shared by Dr. Mark Belfast in his last column, “Music Education in This Time of Social Distancing.” Dr. Madsen is quoted as having said, “[T] ruly great and successful teachers share three qualities: tolerance for ambiguity, intellec- tual curiosity, and the ability to transfer.” I would dare to extend this thought beyond just successful teachers and say that the same is true about successful administrators and anyone involved in leadership positions.
As I welcome you back to a NEW school year, the word new takes on a much-ex- panded definition than ever before in our history on this earth. In terms of music education, the word new now means imaginative, creative, revived, unique, innovative, advanced, novel—I think you get my drift. Although we don’t really know at this time what education will look like this fall, we do know that it will be different than anything we’ve expe- rienced in the past, and that’s where Dr.
44 Florida Music Director
Madsen’s words really resonate with me.
With that in mind, I would like to remind you that nomina- tions for the FMEA Awards Program are open, and we are waiting to recognize those heroes who have demonstrated visionary thinking, resilience, positivi- ty, innovation, and a collaborative spir- it during the past several months when education as we have known it has been turned upside down with no warning to pre- pare for such a change. Please check over the award categories and consider nominating anyone in your sphere who has embraced opportunity in a changed
world.
This FMEA program offers several
awards in recognition of the efforts and accomplishments of music educators, col- lege professors, school administrators, superintendents, school board members, business partners, and others who have made outstanding contributions to music education.
Our membership’s active involvement in the nomination process ensures that FMEA recognizes the most deserving individuals throughout our state. The deadline for all categories (except the Music Education Service and the Music Enrollment awards) is September 11. All applications are done online. To help guide you in putting together a success- ful nomination packet, we have exam- ples of award nomination packets that were selected in the past. Use these as
models for putting together your packet. Go to “Examples of Successful Awards Nominations.”
The two categories that are typically self-nominated are the Music Enrollment and the Music Education Service awards, and they are due a bit later in the school year. Get these deadline dates on your cal- endar now if you might be a part of either category: Music Education Service Award is due November 3, and Music Enrollment Award is due November 5. Both of these applications are fairly effortless. You’ll be surprised at how simple it actually is and glad that you took the 15 minutes or so to apply when you are seated in a room full of honorees and FMEA dignitaries being recognized for your accomplish- ments. If your school qualifies for the Music Enrollment Award (with 35% for high schools and 45% for middle schools), the awards ceremony is a great way to get your principal to attend the conference. Once there, the conference is typical- ly a transformational experience for an administrator, which yields benefits to the music program at your school.
Please check the FMEA website for details about the awards and nomination process.
I am so excited to receive nominations of individuals who don’t just fight for “what was,” but have a growth mindset of “what could be.” Music education has always changed lives and has brought hope and joy to all people throughout many generations. This year will go down in history as one of those pivotal moments for education in general, and I know that music education can be at the forefront.
If you have any questions about the FMEA Awards Program or the nomina- tions process, please don’t hesitate to con- tact me. Best wishes as you embark upon this NEW school year.
CONTEMPORARY MEDIA COMMITTEE
An overview of audition requirements is below:
DJ – perform a three to four minute set that includes a min- imum of five samples or clips from at least two songs, and demonstrates your best work. Make sure to concentrate on sonic and rhythmic improvisation. Any included lyrics must be “school safe.”
Rapper/Hip-Hop – using the supplied backing tracks (one in a
slow tempo and one in a fast tempo), create and perform school-
safe lyrics. Specific themes will be supplied for each piece. And
perform a segment of an original rap you have created (no more
than one minute in length) demonstrating your best work (again, with school-safe lyrics).
Vocalist – sing two songs with supplied backing tracks. And sing a seg- ment of one song, a cappella, of your choice (no more than one
minute in length and with school-safe lyrics) that showcases
your range (preferably an original, but a cover is acceptable).
Electric Guitar – perform a stylistically appropriate guitar part using the supplied backing tracks (from two different styles). And perform a seg- ment of something original you have created (no more than
one minute in length) demonstrating your best work (your
original can be performed on electric or acoustic).
Bass – perform a stylistically appropriate bass part using the supplied backing tracks (from two different styles). And perform a seg-
ment of something original you have created (no more than
one minute in length) demonstrating your best work.
Keys – perform a stylistically appropriate keyboard part using the supplied backing tracks (from two different styles). And perform a segment of something original you have created (no more than one minute in length) demonstrating your best work.
Drum Kit – perform a stylistically appropriate drum kit part using the supplied backing tracks (from two different styles). And perform a segment of something original you have cre- ated (no more than one minute in length) demonstrating your best work.
Whatever – perform a stylistically appropriate part using the supplied backing tracks (from two different styles). And perform a segment of something original you have created (no more than one
minute in length) demonstrating your best work. NOTE: this
category is for students who would like to audition on any instrument not included above.
David Williams, PhD,
Chairman
The FMEA Contemporary Media Committee is excited to announce a new FMEA all-state group that will be part of the 2021 Professional Development Conference in January. The Florida All-State Popular Music Collective could
well be the first state-level all-
state group of its kind. As planned
now, the group will consist of stu-
dents in grades 9-12, and include a DJ, two or three rappers/hip-hop artists, two or three vocalists, two or three guitarists, a bass guitarist, two keyboardists, two drummers, and potentially a few other instrumental- ists. Staff will include a director, a vocal coach, and a sound technician.
The Collective will focus on and per- form mostly original music created by the students, and it will be run using a learn- er-centered pedagogical approach where the students will have significant autono- my over the choice of literature performed. Students will also be expected to partici- pate in preconference communications to begin the planning process of selecting literature. Audition materials are avail- able on the FMEA website. Auditions will occur through video recordings, with links submitted to the FMEA website by September 14. Personnel selections will be made by members of the Contemporary Media Committee, and results will be com- municated by October 5.
Any student, grades 9-12, participating in the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) All-State Popular Music Collective must be enrolled/registered at a public school, private school, public charter school, home education music cooperative, or vir- tual school, and be sponsored by an FMEA member teacher from that school. In addi- tion, the student must be a regularly par- ticipating member of a school-based music program that is sponsored by an active FMEA member.
Please contact David Williams ([email protected]
) with any questions.
August 2020 45
ResearchPuzzles FOR MUSIC TEACHERS
This on-going column seeks to stimulate awareness of research issues for FMEA teachers and researchers.
RESEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
Don D. Coffman, PhD
University of Miami
How are researchers exploring the risks of spreading COVID-19 while making music?
I’d like to provide the latest news, although it is only July 1 (my submission deadline for the August issue). I hope we know much more soon, based on studies being done at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Maryland. In these studies, wind players enter an aerosol testing chamber and play notes at loud and soft volumes. The flow of air (and particles) emerging from the instruments will be measured to get an overall understanding of relative airflows from the instrument bell, finger holes, fipples, and the musician’s nose and mouth. They will also mea- sure the effect of various mitigations (plastic shields or music stands placed at the end of the instruments, wear- ing surgical/homemade masks, wearing N95-certified respirators, wearing face shields, and utilizing low-re- sistance filtering mouthpieces. There are plans to assess the potential impact of aerosol generation in a rehearsal room with multiple players, if that can be done safely, to gauge the effectiveness of passive control techniques
(e.g., social distancing and isolation, room ventilation and filtration, and personal protective equipment).
From my searching, the most comprehensive (and readable) review of research to date with best practice recommendations is an English translation of a May 19 paper “Risk Assessment of a Coronavirus Infection in the Field of Music” by Drs. Spahn and Richter, two medical doctors with music training of the Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine (FIM), University Medical Center and University of Music Freiburg. I will not attempt to summarize that report here. Instead I have prepared a shared folder link for anyone wishing to review the proposals for the research stud-
ies in Colorado and this Spahn and Richter report (https://bit. ly/3gaQAgD ).
Stay safe! I will update you with more information as soon as I can.
46
Florida Music Director
Email your questions and feedback to
[email protected] Research Puzzles.
ExecutiveDirector’sNotes
AHrts Education Is Essential
aving just completed my two years as president of the National Association for Music Education
(NAfME), I have had the opportunity to work with many national associations and state music education associations in addressing the many changes and challenges we are facing for music education. In addition to NAfME leadership and staff, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), and the Country Music Association Foundation (CMA).
FMEA is supporting the Coalition Study on Effects of COVID-19 in collaboration with many other asso- ciations. We want to be as safe and prudent as we can be in terms of music making with children. As edu- cators, we are first and foremost responsible for the safety of the students in our care. The research is being conducted by the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the efforts are being organized through the College Band Directors National Association and the National Federation of High Schools. The research has been conducted throughout the summer and should provide preliminary results at the end of July. In addition, research is being conducted at the University of Maryland. One of the critical pieces of this study is to look for mitigating factors for aerosol disbursement in our music education classes. FMEA will be posting the information as soon as it is released.
Arts Education Is Essential
As decision makers and policymakers plan for school reopening in the fall, the Florida arts associations have endorsed a statement entitled Arts Education Is Essential. Please see the state-
ment on pages 9-10.
The signing organizations convey that the arts have already played a pivotal and uplifting role during the health crisis, and that arts education can help all students, including those who are in traditionally underrepresented groups, as students return to school this fall. Arts Education Is Essential speaks to arts education’s role in supporting the social and emotional well-being of students, an area that administrators, educators, and parents have highlighted as essential to students’ safe- ty and success during the pandemic and as students return to school this fall, whether in person, online, or in a blended fashion. Arts education also creates a welcoming school envi- ronment and a healthy and inclusive school community, helping students, educators, parents, and the community at large build and strengthen their connectedness during this time of social isolation and social distancing.
Arts education supports the social and emotional well-being
of students, whether through distance learning or in person.
The arts have an advantage when it comes to providing develop-
mental experiences. The arts are social. The arts are emotional.
Social and emotional learning opportunities provide students with self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making, and relationship skills. Self-awareness, self-efficacy,
Continued on page 48
FMEA Executive Director
Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD
The mission
of the Florida Music Education Association is to promote quality, comprehensive music education in all Florida schools.
August 2020 47
ExecutiveDirector’sNotes Continued from page 47
self-management and perseverance, social awareness, and relationship skills are central to any arts education activity, no matter the age and ability of the student or the environment in which the learning takes place. As music educators, we focus on social-emotional skills that include the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for students to recognize and control their emotions and behaviors; establish and maintain positive relationships; make responsible decisions and solve challenging situa- tions; and set and achieve positive goals.
Students will need to develop and rebuild their rela- tionships with their teachers and their peers. Social and emotional needs will most likely be heightened and will need even more attention than we have provided in the past. Addressing those needs and planning specific activities for reacclimating students to the classroom will require focused attention.
Arts education nurtures the creation of a welcom- ing school environment where students can express themselves in a safe and positive way. Music educators have the opportunity to work with their students over multiple years, developing teacher-student relationships that grow into a deeper understanding of the students through interaction with their families and the com- munity, fostering a caring environment. Repeatedly we hear stories from students that the only reason they go to school is because of their music teacher.
Arts education is part of a well-rounded education for all students as understood and supported by fed- eral and state policymakers. Florida students deserve a rich and well-rounded education of which music and the arts are a part. Without these important subjects throughout the school day, students are deprived of the education they deserve. As noted in Arts Education for America’s Students: A Shared Endeavor: “An education without the arts is inadequate.”
Over the years, I’ve led discussions with several of our music education associations about the importance of foresight in making good decisions, by anticipating needs and asking what-if questions; however, I certainly didn’t anticipate the COVID-19 pandemic. We are con- tinually looking to determine how and when schools will open in the fall. That being said, we know things will be different for everyone. Each student and teacher
with whom we interact will have had different experi- ences during the pandemic.
What does back to school look like? Who knows? But w«hat we do know is that we will need music education. I believe we will find the following things to be true:
« We will give more focused attention on each person
as an individual.
The classrooms will have a more learner-centered focus.
There will be students returning in the fall who have not touched their instruments for at least six months. Music educators will need to consider literature that meets the needs of students who have had a gap in their learning without losing the musicality and art- istry necessary for successful experiences.
Newly created uses of technology will meld with traditional music education approaches in order to offer even better opportunities and experiences for our students.
Teachers will need to develop new and creative ways to recruit students into their programs, both students who have participated in their programs before and new students.
There are certainly many what ifs for which we don’t know the answers.
But we do know that each of us must have a plan. By staying informed and being proactive in sharing your ideas, you can work with your school administrators to be a part of the solutions and the decisions that need to be made. Let them know you have a plan for the return of students and have systems in place for safety concerns such as instrument hygiene, etc.
I don’t have a crystal ball, but I believe music educa- tors are resilient and will rise to these new challenges and opportunities.
Stay in touch with FMEA. Check the website often as we continue to provide updates, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Stay safe, stay well, and keep in touch.
Musically,
Kathleen D. Sanz PhD
« «
« «
48
Florida Music Director
FLORIDA MUSIC EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Officers and Directors
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Historian/Parliamentarian &
Executive Director...................................................Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD Hinckley Center for Fine Arts Education
402 Office Plaza Dr.; Tallahassee, FL 32301-2757
(850) 878-6844; Fax: (850) 942-1793; [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief ....................................................D. Gregory Springer, PhD
FSU College of Music; 122 N. Copeland St.; Tallahassee, FL 32306 (850) 644-2925; [email protected]
FSMA President............................................................... Craig Collins, EdD
College of Arts & Media, Southeastern University 1000 Longfellow Blvd.; Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 667-5657; [email protected]
FMEA COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Awards................................................................................... Debbie Fahmie
[email protected]
Budget/Finance, Development................................. Steven N. Kelly, PhD
Florida State University, College of Music, KMU 330 Tallahassee, FL 32306; (850) 644-4069; [email protected]
Committee Council .............................................................. Debbie Fahmie
[email protected]
Conference Planning Committee ............................John K. Southall, PhD
Indian River State College; 3209 Virginia Ave.; Fort Pierce, FL 34981 (772) 462-7810; [email protected]
Contemporary Media.................................................. David Williams, PhD
University of South Florida; 4202 E. Fowler Ave., MUS 101 Tampa, FL 33620; (813) 974-9166; [email protected]
Diverse Learners ....................................................Alice-Ann Darrow, PhD
Florida State University, Music Education and Music Therapy 123 N. Copeland St.; Tallahassee, FL 32306
(850) 645-1438; [email protected]
Emerging Leaders........................................................... Mary Palmer, EdD
11410 Swift Water Cir.; Orlando, FL 32817 (407) 382-1661; [email protected]
FMEA Corporate & Academic Partners.. .................................Fred Schiff
All County Music; 8136 N. University Dr.; Tamarac, FL 33321-1708 (954) 722-3424; [email protected]
Government Relations................................................. Jeanne W. Reynolds
Pinellas County Schools, Administration Bldg.
301 4th St., SW, P.O. Box 2942; Largo, FL 33779-2942 (727) 588-6055; [email protected]
Multicultural Network..........................................................Bruce J. Green
2351 Cerberus Dr.; Apopka, FL 32712 (407) 927-3141; [email protected]
Professional Development .......................................................Scott Evans
Orange County Public Schools; 445 S. Amelia St.; Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 317-3200; [email protected]
Research..................................................................... Don D. Coffman, PhD
University of Miami; [email protected]
Secondary General Music............................................................Ed Prasse
Leon High School; 550 E. Tennessee St.; Tallahassee, FL 32308 (850) 617-5700; [email protected]
Student Development............................................. Michael Antmann, EdD
Freedom High School; 2500 W. Taft-Vineland Rd.; Orlando, FL 32837 (407) 816-5600; [email protected]
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
Exhibits Managers ............................................... Byron and Bobbie Smith
4110 Tralee Rd.; Tallahassee, FL 32309 (850) 893-3606; [email protected]
Local Co-Chairpersons
Ted Hope—(813) 272-4861; [email protected]
Melanie Faulkner—(813) 272-4461; [email protected] Hillsborough County Public Schools, School Administration Center
901 E. Kennedy Blvd.; Tampa, FL 33602
FLORIDA BANDMASTERS ASSOCIATION
President ..................................................................................Ian Schwindt
Titusville High School; 150 Terrier Trail S.; Titusville, FL 32780-4735 (321) 264-3108; [email protected]
Past President..................................................................... Cathi Leibinger
Ransom Everglades School; 2045 Bayshore Dr.; Miami, FL 33133 (305) 250-6868; [email protected]
Executive Director.....................................................................Neil Jenkins
Florida Bandmasters Association
P.O. Box 840135; Pembroke Pines, FL 33084
(954) 432-4111; Fax: (954) 432-4909; [email protected]
Business Manager .................................................................Jo Hagan, CPA
8975 San Rae Rd.; Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 379-2245; Fax: (904) 379-2260; [email protected]
FLORIDA COLLEGE MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
President ........................................................................ Marc Decker, DMA
Florida Atlantic University; 777 Glades Rd.; Boca Raton, FL 33431 [email protected]
FLORIDA NAfME COLLEGIATE
President ...................................................................................Julian Grubb
Florida Gulf Coast University, 1519 Neptune Dr.; Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 430-9466; [email protected]
Past President................................................... Katherine Attong-Mendes
University of Miami; [email protected]
FLORIDA ELEMENTARY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
President .................................................................... Ernesta Chicklowski
Roosevelt Elementary School; 3205 S. Ferdinand Ave.; Tampa, FL 33629 (813) 272-3090; [email protected]
Past President...............................................................Rosemary Pilonero
[email protected]
Executive Director............................................................ Jennifer Sullivan
1750 Common Way Rd., Orlando, FL 32814 (321) 624-5433; [email protected]
FLORIDA MUSIC SUPERVISION ASSOCIATION
President ....................................................................Harry “Skip” Pardee
Collier County Public Schools; 5775 Osceola Trail; Naples, FL 34109 (239) 377-0087; [email protected]
Past President............................................................................Scott Evans
[email protected]
Treasurer ........................................................................................ Ted Hope
Hillsborough County Public Schools, School Administration Center 901 E. Kennedy Blvd.; Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 272-4861; [email protected]
FLORIDA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION
President ...............................................................................Matthew Davis
Harrison School for the Arts; 750 Hollingsworth Rd.; Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 499-2855; [email protected]
Past President...........................................................................Jason Jerald
[email protected]
Executive Director............................................................ Donald Langland
220 Parsons Woods Dr.; Seffner, FL 33594
(813) 502-5233; Fax: (813) 502-6832; [email protected]
FLORIDA VOCAL ASSOCIATION
President ................................................................................. Jason Locker
Orange County Public Schools; 445 W. Amelia St.; Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 317-3200; [email protected]
Past President..................................................................... Tommy Jomisko
[email protected]
Executive Director...................................................................J. Mark Scott
7122 Tarpon Ct.; Fleming Island, FL 32003 (904) 284-1551; [email protected]
Business Manager .................................................................Jo Hagan, CPA
8975 San Rae Rd.; Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 379-2245; Fax: (904) 379-2260; [email protected]
CENTER FOR FINE ARTS EDUCATION
402 Office Plaza Dr.; Tallahassee, FL 32301-2757 (850) 878-6844; Fax: (850) 942-1793
Executive Director ...................... Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD ([email protected]) Director of Operations.......................Valeria Anderson, IOM ([email protected])
Director of Finance &
Client Relations..............................Richard Brown, CAE ([email protected])
Technology Director.....................................Josh Bula, PhD ([email protected])
Public Affairs & Communications Coordinator..............................................Jenny Abdelnour ([email protected])
Marketing & Membership
Coordinator................................. Jasmine Van Weelden ([email protected])
EXECUTIVE BOARD
President
Steven N. Kelly, PhD
Florida State University; College of Music, KMU 330 Tallahassee, FL 32306
(850) 644-4069; [email protected]
Past President
Kenneth Williams, PhD
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
2445 San Diego Road; Jacksonville, FL 32207 (904) 346-5620; [email protected]
President-Elect
Shelby Chipman, PhD
Florida A&M University, Department of Music Foster-Tanner Music Bldg., Room 318 Tallahassee, FL 32307; (850) 599-8165 [email protected]
FBA President
Ian Schwindt
Titusville High School
150 Terrier Trail S.; Titusville, FL 32780-4735
(321) 264-3108; [email protected]
FCMEA President
Marc Decker, DMA
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Rd.; Boca Raton, FL 33431 [email protected]
FEMEA President
Ernesta Chicklowski
Roosevelt Elementary School
3205 S. Ferdinand Ave.; Tampa, FL 33629 (813) 272-3090 [email protected]
Florida NAfME Collegiate President
Julian Grubb
Florida Gulf Coast University
1519 Neptune Dr.; Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 430-9466; [email protected]
Florida NAfME Collegiate Advisor
Mark A. Belfast, Jr., PhD
Southeastern University
1000 Longfellow Blvd.; Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 667-5104; [email protected]
FMSA President
Harry “Skip” Pardee
Collier County Public Schools
5775 Osceola Trail; Naples, FL 34109
(239) 377-0087; [email protected]
FOA President
Matthew Davis
Harrison School for the Arts
750 Hollingsworth Rd.; Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 499-2855; [email protected]
FVA President
Jason Locker
Orange County Public Schools
445 W. Amelia St.; Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 317-3200; [email protected]
Member-at-Large
Edgar Rubio
Silver Trail Middle School
18300 Sheridan St.; Pembroke Pines, FL 33331 (754) 323-4321; [email protected]
August 2020 49
Should we put a statement about the status of the conference due to covid?
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