Helping build a stronger community...

Conference Time

2012-01-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year, time for our annual conferences and conventions and let's not forget the snow! This year seems to be even more packed with these gatherings that usual. However, each one of these events offers a unique opportunity to learn, collaborate, and network.

The first event that I attended was the ACDA Children's and Community Youth Choir Conductor's Retreat. It was jam packed with useful sessions ranging from recruitment to Exploring American Folk songs! It was a great time to talk to colleagues and find out what is happening all across the US.

The next conference that I attended was the Indiana Music Educator's Conference. This was another great opportunity to hear some great sessions and concerts. I attended a demonstration by Brad Holmes and the Millikin Choir. It was amazing. Their tone was magnificent and their attention to detail was very evident. I also attended a performance by the Butler University Chorale. Another fabulous performance. However, I must say that I am partial because Butler is my alma mater. The session that opened a whole new world to me was a session presented by Kelly Clifford on google tools in the music classroom! If you are unfamiliar with these tools, check them out. Below is Kelly's website that has instructions for each tool. It is a great resource!

http://sites.google.com/site/musictechnologywithmrsclifford/imea-presentations/google-tools

My final conference comes in March with the ACDA Central Division Conference. I know this will be a great time to learn and hear some amazing choirs. I hope to see many of you there!

Stay warm and dry this month and enjoy all of the conferences!

Are Times Changing?

2011-12-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was able to attend a wonderful concert where I heard Chanticleer. If you are unfamiliar with this group, it is an all male ensemble consisting of only 12 voices. They have been called "an orchestra of voice," and they truly are. Sitting in the concert was an amazing feast for the ears. The harmonies produced by only 12 men was amazing. Many times you could hear lush harmonies that were so thick and complex that you wondered how they could ever tune the chord.

As an audience member you should know that Chanticleer is a group of classical singers and they do a wide range of music from Renaissance and Classical to Gospel and Contemporary. However, this group is the direct opposite of the Straight No Chaser. The first half of the concert that I attended was full of wonderful classical music and the second half was filled with classic holiday favorites. Overall a wonderful mixture for any lover of choral music.

When the concert was over, I had to rush out before the encore in order to get home to relieve the babysitter. This allowed me to walk out with an interesting group of people. I could tell that they went to frequent concerts and were very well educated individuals. However what happened next caught me off guard. When we entered the elevator they asked me if I enjoyed the concert and I said, Yes. They immediately said how disappointed they were with the concert. I could feel my jaw drop! WHAT! They concert was amazing. Not one note out of place. How could they feel this way? The conversation continued. "I thought this was suppose to be a holiday concert!" one man said. Another said, "They could have at least done something with the lighting." Yet another said, "I wanted more pieces that I knew. What about Jingle Bells and others like that."

Once I got to my car I started to think about all of their comments. Did they have a legitimate point or did they not know what kind of concert they were going too? I have come to the conclusion that it is a mixture of both. They were not too familiar with what kind of group Chanticleer was and since it was on the Carmel Center for the Performing Arts Holiday Concert series, they expected more holiday favorites.

In a world on instant gratification, fast paced media, and shows like Glee, The Sing Off, and The Voice where do we fit in? Is choral music being left behind or is it time to do a little face lift on choral music? Is it wrong to have some interesting staging and to change the lighting to highlight different pieces or to change the mood? As directors we also need to remember who our audience is and sometimes a piece of cake after eating the vegetables is not so bad.

I feel very torn on the subject. But as we look to the future of choral music I think a face lift may be just what we need to help keep it alive and interesting to the next generation.

The Choral Community

2011-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

So how many of you have seen the virtual choir? Were you amazed or petrified? The project was the idea of composer / conductor Eric Whitacre. He took singers from all over the world, had them audition, learn the music, and then record themselves singing it. He then mixed all of their recordings together and created a virtual choir. Not only did he do this once, he did it twice.

My first thought was, WOW! This is really cool. Then I got very nervous. You may be asking yourselves why this would make someone nervous. The reason is simple. It took away the one element that makes music making so wonderful, personal connection. The virtual choir members had no interaction with one another. However, is this a wonderful project that bring so many people together from many different countries? Yes. But with the world of virtual schools, skype, texting, e-mail, video games, and so much more, we need to make sure that our children do not lose the ability to socialize with others and the skills needed to interact with others.

It reminded me of the movie WALL-E. In the movie you see how the human race has lost its ability to interact with one another without the assistance of electronics. It went so far as to portray humans losing the ability to walk. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when two people are talking to each other, but they are doing it through a television screen and they are floating (they can’t stand) right next to each other.

As we move farther into the 21^st century and the next generations become more reliant on technology, let’s make sure we keep our rich choral heritage alive. Choirs have always been a haven where people come not only to make great music, but also to have fellowship. I see it before and after every rehearsal. I see singers who want to be together and share with one another.

Here’s to keeping human interaction alive!!

P.S. Here is the link to the video if you would like to watch it.

Whitacre: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs

WALL-E: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohcwksrvDOg&feature=related

At Times Like This...

2010-08-23T16:26:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are. We are back to work after a summer of unrest. Many of our school districts went through major budget cuts and faced tough decisions. We have fought for and are possibly still fighting for referendums. We also are looking at the possibility of losing collective bargaining and going to a salary that is unbelievable. So here we are. What do we do?
The answer is simple, WE TEACH! We do what we love and have been trained to do. We show our communities that what we do is valuable and adds much more to these students’ lives than many of them will ever know.
It is as if in the past few years we seem to sit at a crossroad. We always seem to be faced with a new obstacle every year and it seems like it will never end. Yes, teaching in this state will not be the same. It will be very different from the past and may never return. However, every time we have seen these changes we have overcome. Why? It is because we all share the basic fundamental belief in making a difference in children’s lives and in the power of music. I am sure each of us can name that one teacher that changed us. I can remember that I wanted to be a pastor, but then I met my middle school band director, Jon Milleman (He is currently the Principal at Hamilton Southeastern High School). I fell in love with music. I had always loved it, but now it was different. I had a passion for it. I knew that I wanted to create music as a teacher with children. Who would have guessed that I would change from band to choir and then choose elementary music and children’s choir? I did, and I know I have found what I love to do most.
I am sure you also have a story. A story that gives you the drive each day to do what you do. Don’t lose sight of that and why we are here. No matter what happens in these coming months, what you do each day is priceless! Keep up the great work! Keep promoting what we do in our school by talking to administration, parents, and the community. But most importantly, know that you are not in this alone, because we are all in this together!
Have a great school year!

Have you seen it??

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

Have you seen it?
Alright, maybe I am showing how young I am, but I have become one of the millions that is now watching the new Fox show Glee. If you have not seen it, tune in and you will be entertained. It is about a Spanish teacher, a former glee club singer, who organizes a glee club in the school where he is currently teaching. Each episode is filled with the troubles of high school and being in the glee club. However, I am not writing to get you to watch the show. I am writing because when I watch it I see energy and a passion that at times I don’t see in my own music class and sometimes choirs.
So where does it come from? Is it the music? Is it the movement? Is it the teacher and the singers?
I think that it is a combination of all of them. A few years ago in one of the teaching journals, there was an article written about popular music and how too often we as teachers don’t use it because it is “not classical.” However, it is part of our culture and if you look hard enough, there is some wonderful material in them!
I think that sometimes we see where we want to end, instead of where we need to begin. Not in technical teaching, but in interest. You would never take a person who has only listened to punk rock all of their lives and sit him down to listen to a Bach Cantata. No, instead you would find something that would be a step in the classical direction and appeal to that person.
So why do we pick music that singers would not sing outside of choir? Why not begin with things they enjoy and then work them into a new world of music.
Now let’s look at the issue of movement. So, should we all become a show choir or glee club? No! However, we need to teach our singers how to use their body to show expression and to feel the music. When you watch a small child listens to a piece of music, or better, sing a song. He or she moves. Not choreographed movement, but their body is not riggid and their head does not bob back and forth. Instead you see the music in them. Why not our choirs? Why not help them keep that natural feeling of music. Instead out society takes it out. Go watch people at a pop, rock, or country singer’s concert. The audience is not seated listening. Instead they are moving and feeling the music. So how to we get our singers to feel the msuic?
And then there is the teacher and the singers. Last night I was talking with the choir and I said we do what we do to share our love and our passion. We do this to perform! Otherwise, why work so hard for so many hours. Yes, the learning is great, but the thrill of singing in front of the audience is… well…”priceless!” So, we need to keep that alive in ourselves and our students.
After reading this, I see I have posed more questions than answers, but that is why we are here! To share our thoughts and ideas!
Here’s to a new conversation.
P.S. Go watch Glee season two and we will see you at the IMEA convention!

Here We Go Again!

2009-08-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone and welcome back!

Can you believe that the summer is gone and we are all back in school? Where did the time go?

For my first blog of the 2009 - 2010 season, I want to begin by asking you a question. What can I do for you?

This year I want to be able to provide you with a dialogue that will be useful for you not only as a music educator, but also help stimulate great conversation about what is going on in our school districts, county, and state.

We are living in a time when traditional education is radically changing and we have to keep up. We are seeing a time when students no longer step into classrooms, but rather log onto computers and interact through cyberspace.

How will this effect us? How will this effect music? How will this change our children?

So, I propose a dialogue between us all, exchanging new ideas and working together to keep music alive as an interactive activity!

Here is to an exciting adventure!

It's May, It's May, The Busy Month of May!

2009-05-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we finally made it to May, the final month of school. The month when all of the testing is finally over and all the field trips and special convocations occur and we will only see some of our students two more times. Now I know that some of you enjoy not seeing a certain class, but remember that in that class might be the best singer in your school and we at ICC would love to see them at the Choral Festival.

I know that the last thing I need right now is someone asking me to add one more thing to my already full plate, but the ICC needs your help now more than ever! We have so many spots still open in the choral festival and we would love to work with your students. All we are asking is that you pass out as many of the registration forms as you can to all of your good singers!

As for us, we are ready to come to your school and help you in any way that we can! Henry, Ruth, and I will be making school visits during the month of May and would love to come and see you and your students. If you have a time that you would like us to stop by, please give the office a call and we will set that up! Our visit can be as short or as long as you wish. Remember we are here to serve you!

I also want to take a moment and address the issue of school funding and the arts. We as teachers are all feeling the strain and the worries about money. Isn't it sad that the future of our children all rests on how much money we have? As we listen to the news, the word "cuts" is echoed over and over and I know that in many schools systems the arts are the first to go.

Please know that you have a family and support system here at the ICC. If you need someone to come and bat for you and your program we will be there. We would love to come and talk to your principal, superintendent, and school board. We are here to help you and if you need some extra voices in that choir, we will be there!

As I said in the first blog, we are all in this together. We all need to stand together now more than ever and show the world why music is so important to us all!

Have a wonderful May!

Why Music?

2009-04-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I see that we have had a few people vote on our next topic! To get us started here are a few quotes provided by www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/toptenquotes.html. The first set are quotes about music in general and the second are for our administrators!

I hope you enjoy them!

1. “During the Gulf War, the few opportunities I had for relaxation I always listened to music, and it brought me great peace of mind. I have shared my love of music with people throughout this world, while listening to the drums and special instruments of the Far East, Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far North, and all of this started with the music appreciation course that I was taught in a third-grade elementary class in Princeton, New Jersey. What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children.”
- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf — United States Army

2. “Music is exciting. It is thrilling to be sitting in a group of musicians playing (more or less) the same piece of music. You are part of a great, powerful, vibrant entity. And nothing beats the feeling you get when you've practiced a difficult section over and over and finally get it right. (yes, even on the wood block.) Music is important. It says things you heart can't say any other way, and in a language everyone speaks. Music crosses borders, turns smiles into frowns, and vice versa. These observations are shared with a hope: that, when schools cut back on music classes, they really think about what they're doing - and don't take music for granted.”
- Dan Rather — CBS News

3. “In every successful business…there is one budget line that never gets cut. It’s called ‘Product Development’ – and it’s the key to any company’s future growth. Music education is critical to the product development of this nation’s most important resource – our children.”
- John Sykes — President, VH1

4. “The things I learned from my experience in music in school are discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage and pride in results. . . Not a bad preparation for the workforce!”
- Gregory Anrig – President, Educational Testing Service

5. “Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.”
- Jim Henson – television producer and puppeteer

6. “Should we not be putting all our emphasis on reading, writing and math? The ‘back-tobasics curricula,’ while it has merit, ignores the most urgent void in our present system – absence of self-discipline. The arts, inspiring – indeed requiring – self-discipline, may be more ‘basic’ to our nation survival than traditional credit courses. Presently, we are spending 29 times more on science than on the arts, and the result so far is worldwide intellectual embarrassment.”
- Paul Harvey – syndicated radio show host

7. “It's [music education] terribly important, extremely important -- because when you are a child, you are in a receptive age ... In high schools, public schools -- that's where they must have the best influence, the first influence, which will go through their whole life.”
- Eugene Ormandy – conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra

8. “It is our job, as parents, educators, and friends, to see that our young people have the opportunity to attain the thorough education that will prepare them for the future. Much of that education takes place in the classroom. We must encourage our youngsters in such pursuits as music education. In addition to learning the valuable lesson that it takes hard work to achieve success, no matter what the arena, music education can provide students with a strong sense of determination, improved communication skills, and a host of other qualities essential for successful living.”
- Edward H. Rensi – President and Chief Operation Officer, U.S.A. McDonald's Corporation

9. “A grounding in the arts will help our children to see; to bring a uniquely human perspective to science and technology. In short, it will help them as they grow smarter to also grow wiser.”
- Robert E. Allen – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Corporation

10. “Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human.”
- Jewel – singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist

For our Administrators:

1. Surveys show that a majority of parents believes the arts are as important as reading, writing, math, science, history, or geography. Most parents want their children to have more experience with the arts than they had when they were young.
- Louis Harris, Americans and the Arts VI, 1992.

2. Students in two Rhode Island elementary schools who were given an enriched, sequential, skill-building music program showed marked improvement in reading and math skills. Students in the music program who had started out behind the control group achieved statistical equality in reading and pulled ahead in math.
Gardiner, Fox, Jeffrey, and Knowles, Nature, May 23, 1996.

3. Over nine in ten adults (93%) surveyed agree that music is part of a well-rounded education.
- Americans’ Attitudes Toward Music, The Gallup Organization, 1997.

4. The Kettle Moraine school district in Wales, Wisconsin is requiring piano lessons for all K-5 pupils after seeing encouraging results from a district pilot program. District officials based their pilot program on research findings that show music training - specifically piano instruction - is far superior to computer instruction in enhancing children’s abstract reasoning skills.
- Karen Abercrombie, Education Week, October 14, 1998.

5. The arts are recognized as a core subject in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act approved by both houses of Congress in 1994.
- National Education Goals Panel.

6. A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, demonstrated more enjoyment in school, and had a lower stress level than non-music students.
- E.W. Weber, M. Spychiger, and J.L. Patry, 1993.

7. Research shows when the arts are included in a student’s curriculum, reading, writing, and math scores improve.
- J. Buchen Milley, A. Oderlund, and J. Mortarotti, “The Arts: An Essential Ingredient in Education,” The California Council of the Fine Arts Deans.

8. The College Board identifies the arts as one of the six basic academic subject areas students should study in order to succeed in college.
- Academic Preparation for College: What Students Should Know and Be Able to Do, The College Board.

9. When researchers analyzed the NELS:88 database of the U.S. Department of Education, which tracked 25,000 students over a ten-year period, they discovered that students who were involved in music scored higher on standardized tests and reading tests than students not taking music courses. This finding was consistent for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997.

10. School districts with strong arts education programs report that superintendents and school principals who collectively support and regularly articulate a vision for arts education are critically important to the successful implementation and stability of district arts education policies.
Gaining the Arts Advantage, The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, 1999.

We're All in This Together

2009-02-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings and welcome to the ICC Teacher Blog!

We are all very excited about this page and hope you will come and visit it often. Our goal is to not only have a better dialogue with you as an individual, but a better dialogue between all of the music teachers in the greater Indianapolis area!
I also want to introduce myself to you. My name is Josh Pedde and I am one of the Associate Directors here at the ICC. I am also an elementary teacher at Stonegate Elementary in Zionsville. I have been with ICC for eight years, and have enjoyed all of my time with the organization. My new position at the ICC is to chair the Teacher Advisory Board, a panel made up of representatives from area school corporations.

This page is the product of that board! I have titled this blog, "We're All in this Together," and I have to admit I took this theme from Cynthia Bradford, the Artistic Director Emeritus from the Southlake Children's Choir. Why this title? Because we are all music teachers and we all want the same thing, to help improve the lives of children through music! No matter if you have singers in the ICC or not, we want to hear from you! We will discuss a variety of topics on this blog - everything from advocacy, classroom management, teaching tips, standards, and much more!!

We all have different ideas and they are all very valuable to us at the ICC and to your teaching colleagues in the area! We look forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy the blog!

Josh Pedde