The Foundation For Music Education

Joplin Music Relief Project

Dick Clardy — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:23:53 +0000

I wanted to thank the many contributors to the Joplin Music Relief Project and list them below!

Abilene Christian Schools – Abilene, TX
Action Trophies & Awards, Bart Bailey – Carrollton, TX
Alexander, Aaron
Allen, Carol – West Melbourne, FL – Donation to Band
Baker, Sheryl – Bentonville, AR
Beaver Dam High School, Richard Zeman – Beaver Dam, WI
Bonathan, Kathy
Brown, Carolyn – Conway, AR
Central Kitsap Junior High Band, Jennifer Jenkins – Silverdale, WA
Carroll Musical Instrument Rentals – New York, NY
Claudia Taylor Johnson High School – San Antonio, TX
Clements, Katherine
Coleman, Brian
Coons, Kevin
Cox, John
Coxsackie-Athens High School Band – Coxsackie, NY
Coxsackie-Athens High School Choir – Coxsackie, NY
Cypress Ranch Choir Parents – Cypress, TX
Double Diamond Elementary School – Reno, NV
El Paso Coronado High School Orchestra – El Paso, TX
Elgin Music Boosters
Elyria Catholic High School Band Boosters – Elyria, OH
Fleming, Jordan
Floyd, Dick & UIL TX State Solo & Ensemble Donations – Austin, TX
Francis, Shirley – Carrollton, TX
Friends of Cooperstown Music & Art – Cooperstown, NY
Gallup High School Band Boosters – Gallup, NM
Gavitt, Marsha
Garcia, Christina – Midland, TX
Geneva Middle School North, Eric Hibbeler – Geneva, IL – Donation to Choir
Goode, Mimmye
Grossmann, Kara
Hebron Band Boosters Club – Carrollton, TX
Helmick, Forest
Hiawatha High School Vocal Dept. – Hiawatha, KS
Hill, Nancy & Afifi, Rima – El Paso, TX
Huey, Kathryn – Lawrence, KS – Donation to Choir
Huron Music Association, Richard Ingram – Ann Arbor, MI
Indian Prairie Community School – Crone Middle School Band – Naperville, IL
Industrial High School Band – Vanderbilt, TX
International School of Ho Chi Minh City – Urgent Appeals Global Issues Network Group, Haley Justice
James Madison High School Choir – Vienna, VA
Justice, Kim Elizabeth – Houston
Keeney, Jennifer – Donation to Band
Kirkpatrick, Crystalyn
Kirksville R-3 Schools, Rebecca Murphy – Kirksville, MO – Donation to Choir
La Cueva Band Boosters – Albuquerque, NM
Lake Travis Band Boosters – Lakeway, TX
Locke, Jon & Amy – Lubbock, TX
Loyal, Sandra
McDonald, Rebecca – Cypress, TX
McKinney Boyd High School Band – McKinney, TX
Menahga Public School, Brian M. Hobson, Choir Dir. – Menahga, MN
Munoz, Adrian – Spring, TX – Donation to Band
Odessa High School Choir Boosters Club – Odessa, TX
Oliver Peters Post Production Service LLC
The Out of Door Academy, Nicole Porrello – Sarasota, FL
Panzarin, Daniele – Venezia, Italy
Parker, Josh – Lubbock, TX
Phillips, Dallas – Given in memory of Edwin D. Phillips, Sr. – Founder of Phillips Travel Service in 1953
RBC Music, Tom Rhodes – San Antonio, TX – Donation In Kind
Rentz, Tracy – Donation to Choir
Rife, Frances E – Broken Arrow, OK
Royall, Charlotte – Houston, TX
Schirado, Micah – Humble, TX – Donation to Choir
St. Josephs Collegiate Institute – Buffalo, NY
South Elgin High School, Tri-M Music Honors Society – South Elgin, IL
Spann, T.
Stevenson, Genie – St. Charles, IL
Stillman Valley High School Band – Stillman Valley, IL
Sypala-Conway, Barbara A – Honeybrook, PA
Texas Music Administrators Conference, Rick Ghinelli, Treasurer
Thomas, Ryan – Austin, TX
Tunison, Marlene
Valley High School Orchestra & Chorus, Arthur Sheinberg – Albuquerque, NM
Vaughn, Randy & Cindy – Klein, TX
Webb, Joyce Elaine – Shreveport, LA
Wester, Glynda – Elgin, TX
Williams, Carrie – Phoenix, AZ
Zimmerman, Diane – St. Mary’s, OH – Donation to Choir

Joplin Music Project Final Update

Dick Clardy — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:26:38 +0000

Good Day,

I wanted to take a moment to update all of our interested sponsors and giving partners on the status of gifts that The Foundation for Music Education generated and forwarded to the Joplin Schools for their music programs. I want to thank all persons and organizations for their generosity. A total of #14,2264.06 was donated. The monies collected and donated were designated for a specific ensemble and/or equally divided between the band, choir, and orchestra programs.

I have also attached a message responding to the music donation from the Joplin High School principal, Dr. Kerry Sachetta.

The amounts forwarded:

August 2012

$1,375.83 for the orchestra

$2,443.45 for the choir

$1,935.83 for the band

August 2011

$ 3,508.99 for band

$ 2,525.98 for choir

$ 2,433.98 for orchestra.

This is a total of $14,224.06

Thanks again to everyone that helped!

Dick Clardy

Executive Director

General Information on Successful Mentoring by MERN

Dick Clardy — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:34:13 +0000

General Information on Mentoring

Statistics:
• “Teachers new to the profession are more likely to leave than their more experienced counterparts.” – Is There Really a Teacher Shortage? By Richard Ingersoll

• According to the National Education Association, in urban districts, 50 percent of newcomers leave the profession within their first five years.

• According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 88 percent of new teachers involved in mentoring programs that meet once a week report substantial improvement to their instructional skills.

Characteristics of Successful Mentors
• Experienced and successful individuals in their fields
• Able to understand and accept problems protégés are experiencing
• Show empathy

Characteristics of Successful Mentoring Programs
• Mentor programs fit within the mission and goals of the parent organization
• Programs and mentors have firm understanding of the needs of the target market on a macro- and micro-level through needs assessment analysis
• The mentor program will check regularly with mentors and protégés to ensure that the needs of protégés are being met
• Weekly or semi-monthly sessions between protégés and mentors

Protégé Possibilities
- Classroom management
- Classroom organization
- Timelines for tasks
- Rehearsal techniques
- Pedagogical knowledge and skills
- Instruments and equipment
- Paperwork (TAKS testing, purchase requisitions, tardy slips, report cards, etc…)
- Cooperating with parents and administration
- Fundraising
- Coordination of private lessons
- Recruitment
- Content, repertoire, programming
- Concert preparation
- UIL organization and preparation
- Campus and community involvement
- Parental contact
- Dealing with stress

Objectives for Music Education Resource Network (MERN) to be Successful
• Semi-annual updated list of active music educators obtained from region chairs and school districts to update database of new music educators

• Mentors and affiliates proactively contact new music educators

• Mentors provide developmental assistance to young educators

• The Foundation for Music Education will periodically check up on new music educators utilizing MERN to see that their goals are being accomplished with the help of their mentor

• Each mentor helps to prioritize their protégé’s ambitions and provide direction to achieve goals

• End-of-semester analysis from mentors and protégés regarding effectiveness of program and areas for
improvements

Top Twenty Reasons A Child Should Study Music by Debora Torres Patel

Dick Clardy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:57:47 +0000

Music is like math and Spanish or Latin: It’s a foreign language, one that can help develop learning, motor and comprehension skills. Learning music or playing an instrument opens doors to new opportunities. What’s more, music’s fun.

All you need to do is visit the kids’ audio/video section of your local CD shop and you will be bombarded with a multitude of educational enhancement products to buy. You may find ‘Baby Einstein’ or ‘Brainy Baby’ and an abundance of similar merchandise to make your child smarter. These types of goods can be a wonderful way to introduce music to your children before the age of three. However, nothing can replace private music lessons for a 3 to 9 year old.

The brain develops at a rapid rate between birth and three and is an essential window for the development of neurons. Therefore, encouraging musical exploration is an easy way to promote intellectual development.

Before the age of three, toy instruments can be an excellent introduction to the real thing and group musical play classes can prepare a child for later study. Singing at any age is highly beneficial and linguistic & musical awareness can begin as early as the fifth month of pregnancy when the fetal brain and ears are wide open to receive stimulus.

From the age of 3 years old, a child’s brain circuits are mature enough to begin instrumental and/or vocal lessons. Voice is probably the most important instrument because singing is a tremendous gateway to confident communication and full self-expression.

The piano is usually the best musical instrument to start with because it does not require any specific fingering to play. However, children should choose instruments to play by the sounds they like. Kids will practice more if they like the sound of an instrument.

If your child chooses the piano, inexpensive electronic keyboards are a good way to begin because they are very affordable and portable. Many brands on the market today will display the notes on a digital screen while music is being played. These types of keyboards can greatly assist a child to begin to read musical notes and symbols. They also often have built in rhythm and song functions that make singing and dancing along with the music easy.

Since Howard Gardner’s “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in 1983 and Gordon Shaw and Francis Rauscher’s “Mozart Effect” in 1993, there has be much debate and research into whether or not music study can be linked to better academic performance.

You will find thousands of books, products, articles and websites discussing the advantages of studying music. For your convenience, the top 20 benefits reported for vocal and instrumental music study are listed below.

1. Music training has been linked to spatial-temporal reasoning skills. (I.e. ability to read a map, put puzzles together, form mental images, transform/visualize things in space that unfold over time, and recognize relationships between objects. These skills are often helpful in science, math, and chess.)

2. Musical symbols, structure, and rhythmic training utilize fractions, ratios, and proportions, which are all important in mathematical study.

3. Increases problem finding/solving, logic and thinking skills like analysis, evaluation and the linkage/organization of ideas

4. Optimizes brain neuron development & circuitry

5. Assists motor development especially coordination of hands, eyes and body

6. Expands multiple intelligences and helps students’ transfer study, cognitive and communication skills from subject to subject in any syllabus

7. Group orchestra or ensemble activities help promote cooperation, social harmony and teach kids discipline while working together toward a common goal.

8. Music augments memory. For example, most people learn their ABC’s by singing them. Repeating a tune in a predictable rhythmic song structure makes memorization easier.

9. Singing is a great way to aid/improve reading ability and instruction. Karaoke is a perfect example. Children may learn a song by ear (auditory) but words on a TV or computer screen provide a simultaneous visual anchor.

10. In vocal music learning rhythm, phrasing, and pitch greatly enhances language, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary skills. This is especially noticeable when using songs in first and second language study.

11. Improves critical reading and writing

12. Raises test scores, decreases performance anxiety, and teaches kids how to handle/manage stress during standardized exams

13. Helps children channel unexpressed and/or negative emotions in a positive way

14. Boosts creative thinking

15. Reading music and performing memorized pieces help children to think ahead

16. Improvisation helps people to “think on their feet”

17. Solo performance is connected to self-esteem & self-efficacy. (concept of self capacity) Children learn to reach for their very best.

18. When kids prepare and consistently practice for recital or performance, they work to sing/play without errors. They generally apply similar determination and perseverance to many future endeavors academic or otherwise.

19. Improves understanding of homework and enables a higher levels of concentration

20. Children who study music usually have a better attitude, are more motivated and are less intimidated by learning new things

Strong music reading, writing notation, sight singing (solfege), music theory, literacy, and moving the body to music are solid, transferable skills. Learning is a two-way street. For example, one can assume that mathematics can also develop music. Academic achievement links positively with musical achievement and vice versa.

As early as the 19th century, the visionary Dr. Maria Montessori included music and arts into her worldwide school curriculums to greatly enhance and accelerate learning.

‘Lorna Heyge, Ph.D., says: “While educational leaders turn to early childhood music because it promotes brain development, they will stay with music because of the joy and stimulation experienced in actual music making. Music learning requires total involvement-that is why it appeals so much to young children”
Copyright 2006 Deborah Torres Patel

Deborah Torres Patel helps ordinary people become extraordinary communicators. She began her formal musical training at 5 years old and is a passionate advocate of arts education for children. Her work with adults has clearly shown that a foundation of music at an early age contributes significantly to one’s overall confidence and full-self expression later in life.

2nd Annual Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto Memorial Scholarship

Dick Clardy — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:23:42 +0000

Travis Marks is a senior at West Texas A&M University pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. He was born and raised in Midland, Texas and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 2008. Travis was a member of the TMEA All-State Band in 2006, 2007, and 2008 and was selected as the TSSEC Outstanding Soloist for Trombone in 2008. Since being a student at WT, Travis has participated in every ensemble offered for his instrument including The West Texas A&M University Symphonic Band, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, and Trombone Choir. He has had the opportunity to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association, The College Band Director’s National Association Conference, The “Pershing’s Own” Eastern Trombone Workshop, and the Big XII Trombone Conference. In 2009 Travis was also placed on the Honorable Mention list for the International Trombone Association’s Gilberto Gagliardi Solo Competition. His teachers and mentors include Randy Storie, Sharon Chase, Dr. Rai Morales, Karen McAffee, Clyde Wilson, Bryan Collins, Dr. Gary Garner, Don Lefevre, and Dr. Russ Teweliet. Travis hopes to complete his degree and pursue graduate work and ultimately perform as an orchestral or chamber musician and/or teach Trombone at the collegiate level.

Cavalcade Showcase of Music Announced

Dick Clardy — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:40:48 +0000

“This is the closest sound I have ever heard to Carnegie Hall.”

Isaac Stern, Violinist, applauding the acoustics of the Pikes Peak Center following his 1983 performance.

We are proud to announce that we will be continuing the Cavalcade Showcase of Music Festival in 2011 at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs.

Choice Music Events has entered into an agreement to continue this excellent festival in conjunction with, and on behalf of, The Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Choice Music Events is a full service festival company that is one performance division of The Foundation for Music Education. We are not a tour company.

Information on the festival will be made available soon and can be accessed with a link from the Colorado Springs CVB website to our website. You may also find information here. The dates will be April 28-29-30, 2011. We will be accepting bands, choirs, orchestras, and jazz bands at the festival.

The general scheduling of ensembles will be the same as 2010 with instrumental groups scheduled all three days and large blocks of performance times specific and available for choirs on the last two days.

Because we do not have a sales force at TFME and Choice Music Events, we rely on all tour companies to sell our festivals. We work with all tour-operators so please feel free to have your preferred operator contact us.

We do hope that you will try to support all of the local Colorado Springs sponsors and vendors that have traditionally supported the Cavalcade Showcase of Music. These sponsors and vendors will shortly be listed on our website.

Choice Music Events and the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau hope that you will bring your performing ensemble to the Cavalcade Showcase of Music Festival on April 28-29-30 in 2011.

We promise to you superior service with nationally recognized adjudicators.

Please visit our websites for additional information!

Musically Yours,

Dick Clardy
Executive Director
Choice Music Events
The Foundation for Music Education

The Study and Performance of Music Positively Changes the Brain

Dick Clardy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:33:14 +0000

This is a great short article via the Phi Beta Mu Newsletter citing research posted by The DANA Foundation.

Music educators often lust after a priority position among school programs. The surest way to achieve such a position will always be to build a successful program. But there are other possibilities on the horizon.

The attention pendulum may swing our direction for reasons that we have always claimed but can now prove. Because music lights up the brain with activity and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging shows that, scientists have made us the poster child of brain research. They have proven that music changes the brain.

Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, scientists have found that music performance activates and changes the brain. Technology has also confirmed that music activities use areas of the brain that are important to success in language, mathematics, and other academic areas. Those newly discovered situations mean
that music activities improve parts of the brain required for academic success.

In fact, there is evidence that improvement in rhythm performance skills transfers directly to improvement in reading skills. Due to the rarity of transfer of learning, it is difficult to overstate the importance of these findings. Testing-conscious educators will soon act upon this research. You could predict the following scenario:

The advantages of rhythm skill improvement will come to the attention of school administrators.

School administrators will lead an initiative to use this new research to improve test scores.

Music teachers will be left out, and this promising program will fade into obscurity like so many others.Somewhere that will occur.

But there is a preferable scenario.

Music educators will introduce this research and lead the effort.

Dual purpose curricula will emerge so that rhythm improvement and traditional learning occur simultaneously.

Music will be front and center at every grade level and music educators will be indispensible academic leaders.

Music ensembles will be first choice electives for students with earlyrhythm fluency, and music programs will flourish beyond our imaginings.

The latter scenario asks a lot, but it offers us the chance to affect the academic success of every student while we build successful programs.

Excerpt via Phi Beta Mu Newsletter from www.dana.org

TBA Bandmasters Review article on Marching Band by Ferd Vollmar

Dick Clardy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:15:00 +0000

As all of my high school band director friends are in the final days of marching band preparation this fall, I wanted to brag on the great article written by Ferd Vollmar in the September TBA issue of Bandmasters Review titled “It’s All About the Details.” Ferd did a great job of getting to all points needed to clean a marching show. I would recommend this article to everyone. The point of making a metronome available to the conductor’s ear is a key one during rehearsals. The students must learn to watch the conductor for the pulse. Check it out on page 11.

MERN (Texas Music Education Mentoring Network) Enters 2nd Year

Dick Clardy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:06:32 +0000

The Foundation for Music Education enters the second year of powering MERN. MERN is the Music Education Resource Network which is a pro-bono mentoring network of TMEA members (advisors) helping new music teachers (proteges).

Mike Ware is the Managing Director of MERN. A small committee is compiling a list of specific items and tasks for our MERN advisors to supply proteges. To become an advisor and/or to apply to be a protege simply become a TMEA member and enroll via the TMEA or TFME website.

If you have subject matter that should be on the list please contact myself or Mike Ware.

Mike Ware – mwware@sbcglobal.net

Initial Advisor “to-do” List

Here is our initial advisor to-do list of items and tasks that pertain to band, orchestra, choir or elementary teachers and what we believe should be addressed by advisors and proteges.

set calendar
fees, auditions, trip information
uniforms
booster club relations
professional organizations toda tba tcda tmea
liability insurance
attend region meeting
websites
convention dates
tmea audition dates and deadlines
UIL dates, deadlines PML online
discipline management
repertoire help for fall and spring
sight reading materials
instrument repair, rental, purchase
quality of instruments
assessment tools
charms benefit
solo and ensemble/ concert and sight reading prep
performance concerns of protege
eligibility issues
fundraising do”s and don’ts
transportation policies and requests
class schedules, counselor help
parent meetings/ communication
make friends with administrators and counselors
class schedules
TMEA/UIL policies
concert etiquette
keep a professional distance with students
activity accounts/financial policies

If you have any questions or would like additional information please don’t hesitate to contact via e-mail or by leaving a comment in the “leave a comment section.” Thanks!

The First Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto Memorial Music Scholarship Awarded

Dick Clardy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:35:42 +0000

The Foundation for Music Education is pleased to announce that Alex Bowen is the the first recipient of the first Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto Memorial Music Scholarship. Alex is a junior music education major at West Texas A&M University studying french horn. Alex attended high school at Midland Lee High School and performed in the Midland Lee Band and Orchestra. The WTAMU Band Directors and Professors Don Lefevre and Russ Teweleitt were instrumental in the screening, recommendation, and selection of Alex for this scholarship. This $1,000.00 scholarship is specifically designated to honor Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto and designated for WTAMU instrumental music education students. Friends of the WTAMU band department along with friends, colleagues, and students of Marcia McEntyre Zoffuto are encouraged to support and donate to fully endow the corpus of this scholarship. Information can be obtained here.