Texas Sings! Winter 2011 Issue

NON-PROFITU.S. Postage Paid

Austin, TexasPermit No. 789

VOLUME 27 NUMBER 2 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEXAS CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION WINTER 2011

Let Music Hug Your Soul

TTEEXAS SSINGS!!

Winter 2011 TEXAS√SINGS! 3

OFFICERS

Volume 27 Number 2 Winter 2011

PRESIDENTAmy Allibon, Fort Worth

PAST PRESIDENTBob Horton, The Woodlands

PRESIDENT ELECTJeff Rice, Waco

COLLEGE/COMMUNITYVICE PRESIDENTPam Elrod, Dallas

HIGH SCHOOL VICE PRESIDENTSharon Paul, Houston

MIDDLE SCHOOL/JUNIOR HIGHVICE PRESIDENTDianna Jarvis, San Antonio

ELEMENTARY VICE PRESIDENTPhyllis King, Killeen

CHURCH VICE PRESIDENTGreg Shapley, Hurst

SECRETARY/TREASURERKay Owens, Arlington

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDan L Wood, Austin

EDITORDan L Wood

ART DIRECTORJames A Black, Coppell

PUBLISHERGood/Wood AssociatesPO Box 6472Austin, Texas 78762

TEXAS SINGS!TEXAS SINGS!TABLE OF CONTENTS

On the Cover:

Don’t miss the opportunities that youhave to teach your students life lessons.As music teachers, we have avenues toreach students that other classes nolonger have time for, thanks to statetesting and other time constraints. Someof the most important and lasting thingsour children take from music class maynot be about music theory at all.

Elizabeth Gwyn of Tomball rehearses forthe Elementary Honor Choir at the 2010TCDA Convention in San Antonio.

TEXAS SINGS!Official Publication of the

Texas Choral Directors Association7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A

Austin, TX 78754512/474-2801

Copyright 2011 by Texas Choral Directors Association. No part of this publication may

be reproduced without the permission of the Executive Director. TCDA is an

affiliate of ACDA

TCDA Mission StatementThe mission of TCDA is to support and foster the success of Texas choral

directors and music teachers and to instill a love of music in every Texasschool, church, and community singer.

Let Music Hug Your Soul Today! 4by Karen Bryan

President’s Page 6Reflect, Renew, Reinvent, Reconnectby Amy Allibon

In Memoriam 7Duane Doyle Gohlke

Officer Comments 8

TCDA Members On-Line — TexasSings.orgThe TCDA Member Database is password protected. Entry is very

simple for members. When you click on “Member Database”, you will beasked for a username and password. Enter tcda and 2009 and you’re in!

4 TEXAS√SINGS! Winter 2011

When I was Elementary State Chairof TMEA, this was my “signa-ture” at the end of my magazine

columns. It has since become my“signature” on my email, because I lovethe way it makes me feel when I read it.As we reflect back on the successes of theyear, remember to include all thehuggable moments as well. Sometimesthese can serve as lifelines when youbegin to question your effectiveness,your passion, or even your sanity. Theseare a few of my huggable momentsthroughout my career, and I pray thatthey trigger some personal memoriesfrom your own careers.

One half of my classes come to me

directly from PE, and there have beentimes when something that happened inthe gym tried to spill over into the musicroom. I have a strict policy that thosetypes of problems and conflicts mustwait in the hallway until after musicclass. More often than not, at the end ofclass, the students will decide that whatwas so troublesome at the beginningisn’t such a big deal anymore.

One of my students’ favorite songs is“It’s All Right”, from Music K-8, Vol. 18,Issue 4. My kids have fallen into deep,abiding like with this song. Wheneverthere’s a bad day for any of us, someonerequests that song, and somehow therain isn’t quite as oppressing, or the dayquite as dreary. The next time you thinkall is lost and/or hopeless, pull out a classfav and see if the mood perks up a bit.

Early in my career, I had a mostremarkable young man in my class,whom I nicknamed “Bud”. Poor Bud had

a lot of concerns outside the schoolsetting, some of which made his academ-ic progress suffer. Something aboutmusic class made Bud feel safe andsecure. He eventually found singing tobe an escape from his everyday concerns.He continued singing throughout hismiddle and high school years, and evensang with the Vocal Majority. Musichugged Bud’s soul, and he made apermanent impact on mine. I willforever be grateful for the huggablemoments provided by “Bud”.

As Elementary Vice President, I hadthe privilege of organizing theElementary Children’s Choir for the

1998 TCDA Convention. As I sat andwatched the beautiful faces of thechildren as they sang under the directionof Dr Kenneth Phillips, my soul wasmost definitely hugged. I had writtennumerous letters to these young

Karen Bryan is in her 33rd year ofteaching. She currently teaches at FosterVillage Elementary in the Birdville ISD. Shehas served as Elementary Vice President ofTCDA and of TMEA.

Let Music Hug Your Soul Today!by Karen Bryan


musicians, and had typed their names inso many different lists, but now theywere no longer mere names on paper —they were living, breathing childrenmaking beautiful music together.

Last year, while preparing for our FifthGrade Christmas Program, one of our“special” students broke forth and

blossomed all over the stage. His specialconcerns were not academic as much asthey were emotional and social. “John-ny” was painfully shy, and usually spenthis time in music class rocking to themusic, but rarely singing along with us.He returned his permission form toparticipate in the program, and hismother remarked that she was surprisedthat he really wanted to participate.When he was handed an inflated electricguitar as a prop, Johnny forgot he was infront of people with that guitar. He was arock star! He bounced all over that stagewith his guitar, and on the night of theprogram, as he slid on his knees centerstage at the conclusion of the song, hismother had tears running down her face.He stole the show on that song, and theother students couldn’t have been moresupportive of him.

In that same program, there was astudent from another class who hadrequested a speaking part. This particu-lar student, “Bobby”, had some emo-tional issues of his own, although he wasin a “regular” classroom. He was aHurricane Katrina survivor, and wasquite emotional. He would suck histhumb occasionally, and had beenknown to burst into tears at the slightestprovocation. He also had somewhat ofa speech impediment. When Bobbyasked for a speaking part, my heartbegan to pound, but it was his request,so I decided to go for it. When some ofthe other fifth grade teachers heard thatBobby had been given a speaking part,they told me I was very brave (translat-ed, stupid). They doubted that hewould even show up, much less be ableto stand in front of people and say hislines. I pretended ignorance (it was myfirst year on the campus) and trudgedon. The first day of rehearsal on stage(just with his class), when it was his turnto deliver his line, he walked up themicrophone and began to cry. To mydelight and amazement, one of hisfellow students walked up and said theline with him. Bobby looked withwonder and tried again. Differentstudents would come up and offersupport, either just by being there or

helping Bobby to know his line. By thenight of the program, Bobby confidentlywalked up to the microphone, deliveredhis line with perfect clarity and appro-priate inflection, and had a smile on hisface down to his toes!

Now, for this year . . . again in fifthgrade, and again one of the specialstudents coming from our Special

Ed Unit on campus: “Danny” wasanother painfully shy little boy whospent much of his time in music classunlacing his shoes, or sitting literallyinside his coat, much like a turtle. Earlyin the year, one of the students came upto me to let me know that Danny wasunlacing his tennis shoes. I told himthat it was probably a way for Danny tocope with being nervous withoutscreaming and running around theroom. A look of understanding cameacross this boy’s face, and as he wentback to his seat, he whispered somethingto his classmates sitting around Danny.Without saying a word, they helpedDanny re-lace his shoes. At first, Dannycouldn’t seem to believe that these kidscared enough about him to want to be

his friend. As the year went on, theywould encourage and invite Danny tosing along. I don’t know how they knewwhen to not push him, but they workedhard to make him feel included in thegroup. Eventually, he left his shoesalone, and occasionally he would unziphis jacket just the littlest bit so that wecould see some of his face. After awhile,he would come into music class with hisjacket unzipped and in its normal placeon his body.

When we were talking about RosaParks one day in class, he raised his handto contribute to the conversation. Ofcourse I called on him, and he asked amost revealing question: “How did allthe black people feel when people wereso mean to them just because they weredifferent?” I tried to not let my tearsshow as I asked him how “he” thoughtthey felt, which led the discussion downa slightly different path. Sometimesthere are just more important things toteach than a quarter note.

This past week, Danny and the rest ofhis class got to the music roombefore the regular class had arrived,

and Danny asked if he could playsomething on the piano. His littlefingers had the most awful form I hadever seen, but his face had the mostbeautiful glow. As the regular classbegan to filter in, they crowded aroundthe piano, and I started to panic. Dannykept right on playing, and when hefinished the kids all clapped for him! Atthe end of class, they asked Danny if hewould play the piano again for them. Iasked him if he would like to, and Dannyplayed with a confidence I had neverbefore seen.

None of these experiences happenedbecause of anything magical that I did. Iam sure that you have all had similarexperiences with your own students. Ofcourse we want to teach our studentsphrasing, breathing, tall vowels, blend-ing, and all the other nuances that makea choir stand out from the rest. We wantthem to know about composers, readingrhythms, and sight reading. But pleasedon’t miss the opportunities that wehave to teach them life lessons. As musicteachers, we have avenues to reachstudents that other classes no longerhave time for, thanks to state testing andother time constraints. Some of themost important and lasting things ourchildren take from music class may notbe about music theory at all. Let musichug YOUR soul today! √

“As I sat and watched thebeautiful faces of thechildren as they sang

under the direction of DrKenneth Phillips, my soul

was most definitelyhugged. I had written

numerous letters to theseyoung musicians, and

had typed their names inso many different lists, butnow they were no longermere names on paper –

they were living, breathing children

making beautiful musictogether.

”


Iam fascinated by the concept of a“mulligan,” which is defined as aplayer in a sport or game getting a

second chance to perform a certainmove or action. Have you ever wishedfor a choral mulligan, or do-over? Canyou recollect a moment when the finalcadence did not tune in an importantperformance, or an instrumentalistcracked the horn part during a Mullhol-land piece, or worse, when you damageda relationship with a chorus member orcolleague with ill-tempered words or apoorly timed criticism? It would beconvenient if a choral mulligan existedso those moments of imperfection,whether choral or otherwise, could bedone over. Rehearsals give us theopportunity to repeat and refine, butwhat about the big picture of our choralprograms and ourselves as musicians?How do we grow into the most we canbe as musicians and educators?

Since there are no mulligans, wemust reflect on weaknesses and mis-takes, as well as successes, in order togrow and improve. Honest reflection isone of the most helpful tools we can usein the quest to become better musiciansand leaders. When our choirs do notsound or behave the way we want themto, we must honestly reflect and admitthat we may be the party at fault. This isa tough reality to face sometimes. Wewant the blame of a less-than-successfulperformance to lie on the music, or thecrowded calendar, or the substituteunskilled accompanist, or even thebarometric pressure. These reflectionscan be like the reality of stepping on thebathroom scale after the holidays —painful. It can be brutal to hold up themirror and say, “What did I do or notdo for this to be successful?” Without

this kind of reflection, mistakes tend torepeat themselves and personal frustra-tion festers. While it is difficult to lookat personal shortcomings and face themwith a positive attitude, it is necessaryfor growth.

By the same token, successes andstrengths must be recognized andcelebrated. Reflections must

include the positive, or dejection andburnout are sure to follow. Celebratethe good each and every day, even if it ishard to find. Stop and recognize whatyou do well, and celebrate yourstrengths. Knowing and recognizingyour strengths will bolster your confi-dence as you move forward to remediateareas you want to improve. A few yearsago, Birdville ISD made every teachertake the Gallup Strengths Finder test. Itypically enter into personality typingwith great skepticism, but what Iwitnessed as a result of that testingmade a big impact on our faculty’sworking relationship with one another.As each staff member discovered theirtop five strengths, those strengths wereprinted and posted on classroom doors.We were encouraged to use ourstrengths, and those of others, instrategic ways rather than dwelling onthe weaknesses. This made our facultystronger, and relationships strengthenedas people were tapped in their areas ofstrength.

Renewal and reinvention go hand inhand with reflection for success. One ofthe pitfalls choral musicians fall into isrepeating music under the guise oftradition. Every choral program hasthese traditions, and they are treasuredkeepsakes in our chorister’s hearts. Howmany choirs sing “The Lord Bless Youand Keep You” as a blessing for the endof the week? Surely traditions sprinkledthroughout our programs are valuablethreads of connectivity through thegenerations, but be careful of fallinginto unnecessary repetitions that spawnfrom a status quo way of thinking.

byTCDA PresidentAmy Alllibon

Reflect, Renew, Reinvent, Reconnect

President Amy Allibon

President’s Page

“Honest reflection is oneof the most helpful tools we

can use in the quest tobecome better musiciansand leaders. When ourchoirs do not sound or

behave the way we wantthem to, we must honestlyreflect and admit that wemay be the party at fault.

”


Resist the urge to plug this year’s choirinto last year’s mold or music. Theymay not fit.

Iam fortunate to have close choraldirector friends, and even a brother,who have shared this career path. In

my first few years of teaching, I idealizedother directors who were successful, andI assumed they did not have anyproblems at their schools. I wouldattend TMEA, hear an invited choir, andpresume that the path they had takenwas strewn with fragrant roses andstardust. As I built relationships withother directors, I realized we are all inthe same boat that is sometimes sailingon smooth water, and at other times,rough seas. These connections with

other directors have kept me sane overthe years. Without these colleagues toprocess through the many facets of thiswork, I believe I would have changedprofessions. Reconnecting when onefeels isolated and alone in this professionis critical. Having people in our liveswho share this journey helps us processthe reflections and renewals. Therelationships that TCDA fosters areimportant to every director’s growth anddevelopment, no matter what the age orexperience level of that director. Whilesocial media can be a tremendous assetin communicating with colleagues andfriends, Facebook will never provide theone-on-one networking and partneringthat attending a TCDA Conventionprovides.

As you proceed with perhaps thebusiest season of the year, I invite youto reflect on the program you lead.

What would you change? Are you willingto take the steps necessary to actuallychange? If you do not know how tochange, are you willing to find someone tohelp you? Be willing to renew andreinvent yourself and your program.Reconnect with colleagues to gain insightinto their successes. Someone wise oncesaid, “If you do what you’ve always done,then you get what you already had.” Moveforward knowing that filling in the blankson last year’s template may not work, andthat change is necessary to keep up in thisfast paced world. Be open to the possibili-ty that change can breathe life into yourprogram and give a renewed spirit. √

IN MEMORIAMDuane Doyle Gohlke

1945-2011

by Kevin Beall

Duane Doyle Gohlke, 65, ofSherman passed away Monday,Jan. 3, 2011.

Duane was born Nov. 21, 1945, inDenison to Arnold H and Carrie MaeKusch Gohlke. After finishing highschool, he earned a BA degree fromAustin College in 1966 and completeda Master’s at The University of NorthTexas in 1973. He married a fellowAustin College graduate, BobbieBooher, on July 30, 1967. Duane issurvived by his wife Bobbie; a son,Joshua Gohlke and wife Candace ofWoodstock GA; a daughter, JennieBailey and husband Matthew ofSearcy AR; and seven grandchildren.

In a time of teachers movingfreely from school district to schooldistrict or school to school, Duanestayed his entire career in one schooldistrict. His uniqueness was somethingthat was shared over generations ofstudents; from his wearing of muttonchop sideburns way past their prime,to his quirky sayings and the unwashedcoffee cup – these and so much morewere all a part of what made himspecial. A child would grow uphearing the stories, maybe told by a

grandparent, about being a part of “MrGohlke’s” choir.

Being a part of Duane’s choir was allabout being part of the experience.Whether it was performing at a

local nursing home, in New York, inCampeche, Mexico, or the local springconcert, every opportunity to sing wasto be enjoyed to the fullest. It was to

be the fulfillment of the music, notjust a performance.

As the news of “Mr Gohlke’s”passing spread, the comments onall of the social network sites

started to light up with comments. Acommon theme kept resoundingthrough the thoughts that wereexpressed: Mr Gohlke was a uniqueindividual who made every studentfeel special to be a part of the group.He was known to be much more thana teacher. He was a camp counselor,foster parent, church organist, and,with his wife Bobbie Gohlke (healways referred to her with bothnames), never closed the door of theirhome to a person in need. They livedin the same home for part of fourdecades. You always knew where they

were and what their lives stood for. Itwas to make everyone else’s lives a littlebetter each day.

Some might say that the 65 yearsthat he lived was too short by today’smedical standards. To Mr Gohlke, itwas what you added to someone’s lifethat truly defined the quality of the daythat you lived. √

Duane Gohlke


Officer Comments

Know thyself. This age old quote hasoften served me well. I believe thatits message is simple. To live a

successful life, you have to really spendsome time and get to know yourself. Astouchy-feely as “getting to knowyourself” sounds, this exercise can bevery healthy. After serving for six yearson your TCDA Board, I have beenfortunate to get to know leaders withinour state, and around the country. Ioffer my thoughts on leadership, not asa model for others to follow, but so thatyou may reflect on your thoughts as youstrive to know thyself.

I believe that leadership is pervasiveto all aspects of life. We are followersand leaders every day. Realism as abasis for ontology is, for me, a naturaland functional part of life. Many wouldargue, like Bacon and Comte (Durant,2006), that the world is as we see it.Further, realist philosophy holds thatthe world exists apart from our percep-tions. According to realism, if we baseour perceptions of the world solely onobservation, our observations of lifeand reality are not the only valid datasources and our experiences and thelessons we learn from them are notsingular bases for understanding.

As obvious as this may seem, usingobservation alone for reality-making isa delimiting point of view. When thishas been the case, reality must bequestioned, because I was convinced ofa reality, only to have that visionchallenged. Thus, idealism must beconsidered. Idealism holds a precon-ceived notion of how things ought tobe, that we construct our own realitywithin our minds, and that eachindividual’s construct of reality is, infact, reality (Miller, 2010). Because myupbringing came from a strong moralpoint of view, as well as family valuesthat were taught, I had a firmly

entrenched view of reality. I was veryidealistic. This was certainly developedthrough my family. Now I know thatthey were operating under what Kantcalled the “Categorical Imperative”(Rachels, 2009, p 127). As I matured Irealized that humans often fail atupholding the near-perfection standardof the “Categorical Imperative.” Thereality shift I experienced forced me toconsider other points of view on humanbehavior, in order to gain a broaderunderstanding. This brings up twoother aspects of reality: human fallibili-ty and perception. Early in life, Ibecame aware of the fallible nature ofhumans. My parents were divorcedwhen I was seven years old, and eachparent seemed to take great effort toextol their unique view of the truth.

As I entered into leadership roleswith others, my idealistic ontologicalposition was challenged by observationof alternative behaviors I observed inothers that did not match my beliefs. Ialso developed a growing cognizance ofmultiple perspectives in the world. Asvaluable as it has been to recognize thatmultiple worldviews exist, leadershiproles have required me to make deci-sions based on beliefs. Similarly, I havehad to evaluate the actions of others,which has challenged me to examine myepistemological foundations.

Individually held positions on whatis true may be viewed through the lensof what we believe to be the truth.When we decide what truth is, wenecessarily have chosen alternatives thatwe believe are not true, as well. Thesearch for truth has been a commontheme of mankind’s existence. A givenpremise is that each individual will havedeveloped their own set of premises,which comprise their reality. Althoughthese premises may be similar to thoseheld by others, human conflict is oftenthe result of differing viewpoints abouttruth.

If one aspect of leadership is visionsetting, then one’s view of the truthmust be well conceived and wellarticulated. When I began to haveleadership roles, I did not know how toframe the beliefs of others withinsystems of values. Because I am anempathetic person, and because I placea high value on communication, as Ihave matured, I have sought to under-

stand others’ viewpoints. What is right and how do we know?

Beliefs are at their elemental form, valuejudgments. When I am convinced ofbeing right, I am often challenged toproduce evidence. Axiology is, thus,built on the foundations of ontology(what is real) and epistemology (what istrue). Very simply stated, axiology isdeciding what is bad versus what isgood, and how good it is (Schroeder,2008). However, our basis for decisionsabout what is bad and good must bebased on sound reasoning. Decision-making is a daily part of leadership. Formost decisions values must be examinedto determine the perceived best courseof action. Further, in leadershippositions, complicated decisions orsituations frequently merit the consider-ations of decision outcomes. In this waypragmatism can be a valuable theoreti-cal lens through which situations maybe examined. Pragmatists consider theoutcome of decisions a priori (Hook-way, 2010). After considering options,the practical consequences of a decisionare weighed, prior to the actual deci-sion. Thus, decision-making can beviewed an outcome-based act.

My Philosophy of LeadershipMy view of leadership is that it is a

pervasive part of our lives. Leadership,as John Maxwell said, is influence. Aswe examine our own thoughts, motives,and actions, we make leadershipdecisions for ourselves, based on ourprinciples. Stephen Covey, in his book,First Things First, said, “We may not bethe leader, but we’re a leader.”(p 239,emphasis in original). Covey’s point isthat leadership is conscious choice. Atthe risk of appearing contradictory, itmight be more apt to say leadershipopportunities are a pervasive part of ourlives. How we choose to respond toleadership opportunities determinesmuch of how we grow in our leadershipcapacities.

I would argue that one of thegrowth areas of decision-making andleadership is self-leadership or gover-nance. Peter Senge, author of The FifthDiscipline, calls this “Personal Mastery”(2006, p 7). Senge eloquently stated oneof my deeply held personal beliefs,“People with a high level of personalmastery are able to continually realize

PastPresident

Bob Horton


Officer Commentsthe results that matter most deeply tothem.”(p 7) He continued, “Personalmastery is the discipline of continuallyclarifying and deepening our personalvision, of focusing our energies, ofdeveloping patience, and of seeingreality objectively”(Senge, 2009, p 7).All choices we make are ours, andthough they may affect others, they arecertainly ours.

Therefore, another growth area ofleadership is the way we interact withothers. All leadership action comesfrom a position of authority, or power.Two of the types described by Fowler(2009), are essential to my philosophy ofleadership: “Competent Authority” (p30) and “Persuasion” (p 31). ”Compe-tent Authority”, as described by Fowler(2009), is “based on expertise” (p 30). Ibelieve this type of authority is essentialfor leadership. People respect leaderswho are competent in their given field,and who demonstrate competentleadership. “Persuasion” can be aleadership tool, defined by Fowler(2009) as “the overt attempt to affect thebehavior of others by convincing themthat the desired behavior is good” (p30). Fowler articulates how facts may beused in persuasion as well as socializa-tion through culture (2009, p 30). Ibelieve that this is another key compo-nent to leadership. Leaders are respon-sible for setting a vision, and establish-ing a culture.

Although every situation has peaksand valleys, ebbs and flows, humaninteraction and leadership is a dynamicand living act. Relationships areconstantly developing, issues constantlyarising, and humans have infinitecapacity for change. With change comesthe opportunity to examine core beliefsand make decisions in light of thosecore beliefs. Change that comes fromleadership decisions can be of situationsor policies, but I believe it is ultimatelychange in people. Greenleaf (1970),called this servant leadership.

I believe in servant leadership.Originally conceived by Robert Green-leaf, this concept resonated with mewhen I encountered this statement, “Theservant-leader is servant first . . . . Itbegins with the natural feeling that onewants to serve, to serve first. Thenconscious choice brings one to aspire to

lead” (Greenleaf, 1970). It has been myexperience that leaders who want aleadership position only do not alwayshave influence.

A key component of the philosophyof servant leadership is that by servingothers, growth happens for the leaderand followers. Leadership has purposebeyond mere function. Based on my lifeas a husband, father, teacher, andprofessional leader, inspiring growth inothers has always been my priority.

I believe that a leader’s power toinfluence can be founded upon compe-tence and persuasion. Competenceallows followers to trust their leader.Competence involves skill at articulatingvision. Competence also involvesability, and directly relates to the faithfollowers place in their leader. Persua-sion, to me, is the ability leaders developto encourage their followers to partici-pate in a shared vision. Persuasion alsoinvolves being able to collaborate withothers to bring a shared vision intoexistence.

For me, Kent Keith expressed muchof my view of how ideal leadership ispracticed in his poem titled “Anyway”.Written in 1968, it was cited by MotherTeresa, and mistakenly attributed to her.The essence of this poem is thatleadership implies willful choice valuesand empathy matter to a leader, andacting with integrity to your core beliefsis of paramount importance.

AnywayPeople are illogical, unreasonable,

and self-centered.Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.The good you do today will be forgotten

tomorrow.Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make youvulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.The biggest men and women with thebiggest ideas can be shot down bythe smallest men and women with

the smallest minds.Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.What you spend years building may be

destroyed overnight.Build anyway.

People really need help but may attackyou if you do help them.Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have andyou’ll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you haveanyway.

As much of my own philosophy ofleadership is based on the considerationof human interactions, I collected thefollowing quotes:

“A great person attracts great peopleand knows how to hold them together.”– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832)

“If your actions inspire others todream more, learn more, do more, andbecome more, you are a leader.”– John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)

“The best executive is the one whohas sense enough to pick good men todo what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling withthem while they do it.”– Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

“Leadership can be thought of as acapacity to define oneself to others in away that clarifies and expands a visionof the future.” – Edwin H Friedman(1932-1996)

“A leader is one who knows the way,goes the way, and shows the way.”– John C Maxwell (1947-)

“People buy into the leader beforethey buy into the vision”.– John C Maxwell (1947-)

“Nearly all men can stand adversity,but if you want to test a man’s character,give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865)

“Life becomes harder for us whenwe live for others, but it also becomesricher and happier.” – Albert Schweitzer(1875-1965)√


Officer Comments

It’s Not All About Me!

That is a phrase I have been saying tomyself recently. As I work each daywith the most wonderful high school

students in the world, I have to stopmyself frequently and be reminded ofwho the center of my attention in theclassroom is each day. In the teacherappraisal process, much weight is placedon the learner being the central focus ofinstruction. Our appraisers are moreinterested in how our students areresponding than what we as teachers aredoing. We can prepare and execute ourmost creative lesson plan, but if ourstudents do not respond, we have notdone our job.

Recently, my PDAS appraiser and Ihad a healthy discussion on my premisethat choral music instruction is intrinsi-cally learner-centered because thelearner/performer must be physicallyand mentally involved for good singingto occur. In my opinion, there are fewactivities that are more learner-centeredthan skilled, refined choral singing. Thesinger/student is creating music througha complex series of mental, physical, andspiritual processes that result in accurate,healthy, expressive singing. This requirescontinual evaluation as the singer movesfrom note to note and word to wordwhile constantly making fine tuningadjustments to what he is hearingaround him. In my appraiser’s opinion,as long as the teacher is directing theinstruction, it is not the highest level oflearner-centered education. I have cometo realize that we are both right and thatthere must be a balance between the two.

It is true that some of what we do inthe choral classroom is teacher-directedwith an expected student response. Mostof the time we select choral literature andsight reading curriculum, and studentsare expected to respond with correctpitches, rhythms, phrasing, dynamics,

tone quality, etc. As choral conductorswe are trained with a predeterminedsound of what we want to hear from ourstudents. To achieve that sound ourinstruction usually consists of modelingor describing the desired sounds andbehaviors, then expecting students torespond with the sound that was pre-setin our mind. If we stop there, we areleaving the learner out of the process to acertain degree.

Although we should not abdicate theteacher’s role in the choral classroom, itis not a bad thing to allow our studentsto make some decisions that determinethe outcome of our instruction. Howcan you begin to make this a part of yourdaily instruction process?

Here are some ways you can makeyour choral classroom more learner-centered: • Allow the class to vote on a musical

selection for a concert. (Of course,you can make sure all the choices areacceptable and appropriate for thechoir.) Better yet, perform a studentcomposition!

• Allow student leaders to selectexcerpts of a piece for rehearsal. Thiscan also be set up ahead of time toensure success for all.

• Choose a student to give the startingpitch for sight reading exercises.Discover which student may haveperfect pitch!

• Allow students to choose which pieceneeds the most attention on a givenday. This can be a great way to extendinstruction when you feel you havemet your objectives for the day, butstill have 10 minutes left in class.

• Assign small ensemble groups forrehearsal. Allow one student to be theconductor of the ensemble as theyperform musical excerpts for the class.Ask each group to critique the othergroups.

One tool I use to create learner-centered lesson plans is the “Five E”method prescribed by my campusprincipal. The following is a typicallesson plan template for my classes. Asyou will see, it is a very broad formallowing freedom to insert titles ofparticular vocal exercises, sight readingmaterial, and choral literature we areworking on at that time.

Engage:1. Appropriate music selection playing

as students enter the room.2. Group sight reading assignment

instructions on board. 3. Vocal exercises/warm up.

Explore:1. Large/small group participation in

sight reading curriculum material.2. Large/small group participation in

choral rehearsal techniques usingperformance curriculum materials.

3. Large/small group exploring vocalskills including breathing, tonequality, range, and vowel shape/placement.

4. Sight reading unison lines usingKodály hand signs.

5. Vocal skills — posture, breathing,tone quality. Breathing exercise —counting in/out, percussive consonantdrills.

Explain:1. Immediate feedback from the teacher

based on student performance ofsight reading curriculum material.

2. Teacher models correct pitch, intervalperformance, and rhythmic patterns.

3. Immediate feedback from teacherbased on student performance ofchoral rehearsal techniques.

4. Teacher explains and demonstratesappropriate and necessary choraltechniques including dynamiccontrast, phrasing, intonation,diction, expression, textual signifi-cance, vowel unity, vocal colormatching, and historical/composerinformation (composer/musicalstyle).

5. Immediate feedback from the teacherbased on student performance ofvocal technique.

6. Teacher explains and demonstratesappropriate vocal techniques includ-ing posture, diaphragmatic breathing,tonal resonance, tone quality, vowelplacement, and vocal anatomy.

Elaborate: 1. Students chant, then audiate, then

sing sections of sight reading materialto apply knowledge, refine skills, anddeepen understanding of readingmusical notation.

2. Students repeat sections of choralperformance material to apply

PresidentElectJeff Rice


knowledge and refine musicalperformance skills.

3. Students work to refine textualconcepts of pronunciation, word/

syllable stress, and interpretation.

Evaluate:1. Students perform in small groups

while other students evaluate.2. Teacher develops questions to

encourage self and group understand-ing of musical concepts.

3. Students listen to recordings ofrehearsal/performance and developoral and/or written evaluations.

I encourage each one of you to recallthe phrase, it’s not all about me, severaltimes every day. While at school turnyour focus to your students and col-leagues. Find ways to become morelearner-centered. When you are not onthe job, focus on your family and friends.This will allow you to enjoy life morethan if you focus on yourself all the time.

Now that the busy holiday season isbehind us, we can sit back and coast tothe end of the year, right? Wrong!TMEA, UIL contests, spring trips,concerts, banquets, TAKS testing, etc, areall looming ahead of us. I wish all of you

the best for wonderful performances andmeaningful moments with your studentsthroughout the coming semester.

Please include TCDA Convention inyour summer 2011 plans! Mark yourcalendar for July 27-30, 2011. We willhave a male Director’s Chorus conductedby Dr Jonathan Reed. The Director’sChorus will premiere a TCDA Commis-sioned Work for high school men’s choirby Craig Hella Johnson. Please plan toparticipate. Registration will begin afterthe TMEA Convention. √

Officer Comments

Giving an “A”

The practice of “giving the A” allows theteacher to line up with her students intheir efforts to produce the outcome,

rather than lining up with the standardsagainst these students . . .

Even in a symphony orchestra, wherethe conductor and the hundred playershave something collective at stake –namely a great performance – standardscan wreak havoc. Not every conductor iscapable of moving beyond his own agendaand his own prejudices to see how hesupports or undermines the players’performance. Just before the oboist putsher reed to her lips for her big solo, shelooks up at the conductor, and along withinformation about tempo, phrasing, shape,rhythm, color, and the character of themusic, comes a message that includes agrade – and that, as much as anything else,will determine how she plays.

“Giving an A.” The Art of Possibility.Rosamund Stone Zander

and Benjamin Zander

For a number of years, the abovequote has appeared at the beginning of

the syllabi for my introductory under-graduate and graduate conductingcourses. The book was recommended tome by a colleague some years ago, and Inow include it as recommended readingfor my conducting and choral techniquescourses. And although there were many,many valuable and insightful messagesshared in the book, this quote reachedout and grabbed me when I came acrossit. It falls in line not only with myphilosophy as a teacher, but also as aconductor.

When I began my doctoral studies atthe University of Illinois, one of the firstcomments I heard about my conductinghad to do with how hard I was workingat the podium. Knees bouncing, armsall over the place, body moving this wayand that – these were all habits I haddeveloped in years of rehearsing withyoung, inexperienced teenagers. Insimple terms, I was trying to “do it forthem”. But the truth was, my choirs’suc-cesses in performance were likely duemore to what I had told them inrehearsals, rather than what I wasshowing them. So I began the difficultand lengthy process of removing all ofthose unconscious movements andusing only the movements that werenecessary to communicate clearly theconcepts I wished to convey.

So how does this fit in with “givingthe A” in rehearsals and performances?Zander uses the analogy as an illustrationof how quickly and powerfully ourdemeanor (and I’ll take the examplefurther – our language) can affect theperformances of our students, whether inthe rehearsal room or in the concert hall.

This is certainly a topic worthy ofdiscussion and thought as we examineour teaching techniques and the culturewe create in our classes. However, thesame analogy can be carried even furtherinto the realm of how we approach thephysical aspect of our craft – theconducting gesture. If, as conductors, weare micromanaging every aspect of thephrase, we’re removing accountabilityfrom the singers. We’re telling them thatwe don’t trust them to be able to respondto the music appropriately on their own.We’re effectively saying that we anticipatetheir errors and are going to do every-thing possible to short-circuit the road toerror. Beyond that, we’re not givingourselves an “A” as communicators. It’sas if we’re that person in a conversationwho over-explains everything when asimple, direct sentence would suffice.

Our goal as conductors should be toprovide clear, meaningful gestures thatserve as a canvas upon which musicalevents are “painted”. Gesture guides thesingers’ breath management. A distur-bance in the gesture results in a disrup-tion of the breath support and, ultimate-ly, the vocal tone. And what are some ofthese disruptive movements?• Lunging, bouncing, bobbing, and

weaving• Conducting the rhythm• Illogical changes in the speed of the

hand • Hitches in the beat pattern • Stopping the hand when it’s not

necessary• “Fishtails” in the beat pattern• Too much rebound• Unnecessary resistance in the pattern

College/Community

Pam Elrod

As each of us prepares for theupcoming UIL season, a conversa-tion I had with a colleague returns

to my mind. In discussing the impor-tance of selecting literature, marketingthe literature to the choir, and motivatingthe learning of the literature, finding theright selection for a particular choir isalways a challenge.

Perhaps you have experienced “theUIL or concert selection you will neverteach or perform again with a choir”.After talking to quite a few fellowdirectors, I think this issue has probablyoccurred at least once in everyone’scareer. Time, wisdom, and experienceusually guide our judgment in subse-quent years. However, in addition toconcert, UIL, and PML requirements,other factors are key to a successful andpositive experience for our students.

It is very enjoyable to hear voicesmature and grow. As we proceed in thespring, and as the choir performs andprogresses, listen to the voices severaltimes, individually, to see if adjustmentsshould be made to balance the sections.Additionally, voices that are soft or loud,

or that have bright, or dark tones, mayhave to be placed differently in a section.

Again, one of the most importantingredients for a wonderful perfor-mance is selecting music that fits thechoir. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Have youever chosen repertoire that you liked butdidn’t work well? A few items forconsideration in a concert or UILperformance besides UIL Grade wouldbe style, tempo, voicing, range, key, andoverall programming. Look at thespecific ranges of the voices within eachsection of the choir. Selecting musicthat shows the strength of the choir as awhole creates a dynamic performance.If all sections are created equal (aah, achoir director’s dream), is there an agefactor to consider or are the studentsexperienced singers? Think about thetone of the choir and the sonority ordepth of tone in performing a selectionaccording to the composer’s intent.Also, remember to take into account theimpact of eligibility upon the choir. Itcan be a factor in selecting repertoirewith divisi. One final thought is tochoose a program that is a sequentialstep in the choir’s next level of learningfor the year.

Now that the choir is set, whatresources are there to help in the selectionof literature? Experienced colleagues are awonderful resource, as well as recordings,region clinicians, UIL contests, concerts,and online performances. Maybe anexperienced colleague could come to aconcert or listen to the choir in rehearsaland make suggestions on repertoire thatmight demonstrate the choir’s strengths.

Many directors think of programs interms of having a confident openingselection for the students as they begin,an a cappella selection, and a solid closer.In selecting literature, a winning combi-nation is to find a selection that fits thechoir, that the choir will enjoy, and thatwe will enjoy teaching.

When marketing the literature to ourchoir, a positive way of introducing themusic is to find a good recording thatpresents the music in its entirety. Oncestudents have an overall view of the finalproduct, I think it is much easier forthem to understand how the process willhelp them reach their final destination.An online performance is another optionproviding the audio is of good quality.

Our attitude and presentation of themusic is contagious. If we are sold onthe literature, the students will oftenreflect our enthusiasm. Consider thedifficulty, the important componentsthat will need addressing, and themethod of teaching that will be mostbeneficial for your students. Chordsheets, rhythm sheets, solfa, or languagemay be factors that need focus.Sequencing the presentation of theseitems can make the learning process veryenjoyable for the teacher and make thechoir rehearsal a success.

Rehearsals that are fresh, creative,and engaging probably sustain the mostpositive learning environment. Yes, thereare times we will have to “scrub” andrefine the music, but, if that is just one ofthe types of rehearsals woven into themusical fabric of learning, the studentswill continue to focus and stay commit-

HighSchool

Sharon Paul


Officer CommentsI challenge you to videotape yourself

in rehearsals and performances. Howmuch of what you’re doing at thepodium is unintentional, unconscious, orsubconscious? Even more crucial, howmuch of what you’re doing is telling thesingers something that runs counter toyour interpretive ideas? Ideally, shouldn’twe be aware of every movement wemake? As conductors, aren’t our bodiesour “voices”? If you’re pleased with whatyou see, congratulations. But I’ll betyou’re in the minority. For most of us(and of course I include myself in this),we can always improve our “language”.Here are some steps toward that goal:• Posture check

Stand tallFeet a comfortable distance apartOpen, wide torsoRelaxed shouldersElbows away from bodyConducting plane that’s not too high or low

• Bring them to you – don’t reach forthem

• Get back to basics – does yourpreparatory gesture clearly indicatetempo, articulation, and dynamiclevel?

• Ask yourself this question: Is the subdivision always apparent inmy gesture (without subdividing,of course)?

• Are there unnecessary body move-ments accompanying the gesture?

We are all nurturers at heart. Wewant to help our singers reach theirpotential. But in doing so, we sometimestake over for them with conductinggestures that are much busier and muchmore intrusive than is necessary. Wethrow so much information at them atonce that the result becomes essentially“white noise”. The clarity of the messageis lost in the abundance of bodily“verbiage”. Ultimately, we’re not givingthem an “A” as musicians, and we’re notgiving ourselves an “A” as conductors.And we all deserve “A’s”. √


Officer Comments

Communication 101

Aphotographer for a local newspa-per was assigned to take pictures ofa California forest fire. The chief

news director advised him that a smallplane would be waiting at the airport sohe could cover the story. The photogra-pher arrived at the airstrip minuteslater, and, as promised, a small Cessnawas waiting on the runway with theengines running. He jumped in theplane with his equipment and shouted,“Let’s go!” The man sitting in the pilot’sseat steered the plane toward therunway and within just a few minutes,they were in the air. Almost immediate-ly, they could see the black smoke fromthe massive fire off in the distance. “Flyover the north side of the fire,” said thephotographer, “and make several low-level passes over the fire.”

“Why?” asked the nervous pilot. Annoyed by the question, the

photographer yelled, “Because I’m goingto take footage of the fire, you idiot!What else do photographers do?”

The pilot nervously looked and thephotographer and replied, “Does thismean you’re not my flight instructor?”

This story is a great example ofcommunication gone awry. So much ofwhat we do as educators centers aroundhow and what we communicate toparents, students, administrators, andcolleagues. Clear, timely, and thoughtful-ly crafted communication can enhancethe professional respect that we all seek.On the other hand, a continued lack ofcommunication or communication thatis vague can make one appear disorga-

nized and unprofessional. Althoughmost of this information is familiar, itmay be helpful to review a few “do’s anddon’ts” when it comes to writtencommunication.

Timing is everything: Timelycommunication will enhance yourrelationship with those tied to yourchoral program. Provide informationabout rehearsals, concerts, and otherevents well in advance. The best practiceis to include a calendar for the schoolyear in your handbook. You might alsoconsider sending a second copy of thiscalendar in early January as a way toremind others to include choir dates intheir new calendar. Additionally, it isimportant to provide your communitywith an email or letter reminding themof upcoming events approximately sevento ten days before it is scheduled to takeplace. Make it a priority to also sendthese reminders to your administrationand colleagues when appropriate.Include the names of students participat-ing if the activity results in studentsmissing all or part of the school day.Your students’ absences will likely affectyour colleagues’ lesson plans for thatweek. Timely notifications will giveother teachers the opportunity to makeadjustments to their plans as needed.Don’t forget to send this information tothe attendance clerk as well.

Get to the point: Many of us tend to“skim” written communication, especial-ly when our schedules become increas-ingly hectic. Because of this habit, besure that informational notices are notwordy and filled with non-essentialinformation. After the initial two orthree sentences of “greeting”, I ofteninclude the most important informationin a “bullet” format. This allows thereader to quickly identify the pertinentinformation being conveyed, even if theydo not thoroughly read the entirecorrespondence. Tastefully highlight,bold, or underline the information that

informs the standard “who, what, where,when, and how” of the event.

Don’t touch that button!: Before yousend/print a notice or email, havesomeone edit your letter for spelling,grammatical errors, clarity, and tone.Email should only be sent to inform oranswer specific, non-emotional inquiries.If there is a chance that the person youare contacting is angry, unhappy, or upsetdo not send an email. Instead, handlepotentially emotional situations over thephone or, when possible, in person. It isfar too easy for a reader to insert aninaccurate tone or misunderstand yourintention when vocal inflection, bodylanguage, and/or immediate feedback arenot readily present. Never send an emailwhen you are emotionally charged.Always give yourself plenty of time torespond to someone in a non-emotional,professional manner even if this delayscorrespondence. Last, never put anythingin writing that you would not becomfortable having an administrator,school board member, or the local newsanchor read.

Privacy, please: Be sure to protect theemail addresses of your students andtheir families when sending out massemails from your distribution list. Whensending bulk email, many people placeall of the email addresses in the “To:”field. By doing this, they are unwittinglypublicizing the email addresses ofeveryone associated with their program.This can result in others using thedistribution list to solicit private businessor send unwanted email. One way toavoid this problem is to place all address-es in the “BCC:” field. You can also useMicrosoft Outlook and Word to create amail merge, enabling you to create onemessage for each recipient. Using eitherof these steps will help protect theprivacy of those who have entrusted youwith their email addresses.

When more is better: In this elec-

MiddleSchool/Junior HighDianna L Jarvis

ted to the process. Sectionals, clinicians,and recording the rehearsal every weekcan also prove useful tools in preparationfor a concert or competition.

Best wishes to each of you as youventure into your preparations for UIL.

If you are a new teacher, please considervisiting with experienced colleagues. Weall share a love for our students, music,and teaching. I know they would enjoytalking with you. If you are a veteranteacher, consider checking in on the

newer directors to see if they have anyquestions, especially regarding rules andrequirements. More important, supporteach other and enjoy the opportunity tomake those connections and friendshipsthat will last a lifetime. √


tronic age, most written communicationis done through the Internet. Thisshould not, however, be your only meansof communicating with your communi-ty. Look for multiple ways to provideinformation regarding upcoming eventsor deadlines. In addition to group email,provide hard copies of electroniccommunication to your students whomay not have Internet access or whoseparents seldom check for email. Con-tinue posting a weekly, monthly, orsemester calendar in your classroom oron your board. Keep a list of announce-ments that need to be made on yourpiano or music stand where you will besure to see it throughout the day.

Consider investing in a message ordisplay board that can be hung in a hightraffic area of your school. This willallow students, parents, and colleagues toview your program’s calendar. This isalso a great way to promote yourprogram and recruit new members.Display pictures and notices aboutupcoming events that make yourorganization unique. Updating thedisplay case or message board is a projectfor your student officers, club historian,student aide, or college intern. Youshould also make use of your school’sweb page or your teacher web page topost important, time-sensitive informa-tion. If you regularly incorporate several

methods of communication, you arelikely to successfully contact morepeople. This practice will also limitstudents’ ability to use the “I didn’t knowabout it” line of argument following amissed event or deadline.

Like the photographer in theopening story, we should all look forways to improve our communicationskills in order to prevent unnecessarymisunderstandings with those weencounter through the work environ-ment. Keeping written communicationtimely, clear, precise, and non-con-frontational will enhance your profes-sional reputation and the reputation ofyour music program. √

Officer Comments

Find Your Music Mojo

Can we talk? Put a hold on makingmusic for a moment and focus onsome trends in formal education.

Do you happen to have a favorite guru?Harry Wong, Jim Fay, Flip Flippin?Maybe it would be Phil Schlechty orRichard DuFour? Sir Ken Robinson, IanJukes, Benjamin Zander, or Daniel Pink?Do you remember Madeline Hunter?And never forget Benjamin Bloom andErik Erikson! Really, I am not making upthese names! What do you think ofwhen you hear these buzz words —Working on the Work, Engaged Learner,Emotional Intelligence, Effective Schools,Planning the Work/Working the Plan,Peak Learning Theory, ProfessionalLearning Communities, Meeting the Needsof the 21st Century Learner, DigitalNatives, Love and Logic, Boy’s Town,Capturing Kid’s Hearts, Essential Ele-ments, 4-MAT, National Standards, TEKS,CSCOPE.

While working for the public schoolsystem in Texas, a person will come incontact with many different educational

theories. A school district will decide ona direction and then focus on trainingthe campus employees to adopt the ideafor the whole district. Once you havelearned these ideas, you cannot thenunlearn them. It becomes part of yourframe of reference and you will carry thisknowledge with you as you continue toteach, reflecting on the correlations andapplications of that particular education-al theory to your subject matter.

When we actually get right down toit, on a daily basis, no matter how manylearning theories you have studied andapplied, no matter how much you haveplanned ahead, the quality of the timethat you spend in the classroom with thestudents is where the real learning takesplace.

As elementary music specialists, weoften have such a short amount of directcontact class time that every minutecounts. As a choir director, the weeklyschool or church choir rehearsal is ouronly opportunity. What does thatcontact time actually look like?

Is there a confident well-preparedfacilitator of learning leading the group?Or is the leader one who needs to findsome music “mojo”?

The Urban Dictionary describesFinding Your Mojo as follows: to be ableto find something you like doing, and todo it with passion, zeal, energy, andenthusiasm.

This certainly implies that your mojois found from inside, from positivemotivation within, no matter how manylearning theories are influencing you.

To help provide a little new yearmojomotivation, here is an abbreviatedlist of suggestions for maintaining yourmojo with some interpretation libertiespertaining to music.*

1. Practice positive self-talk. Thinkabout wonderful ways to say things toyour students and about the music youare working on together.

2. Set yourself up to have frequent,small wins. Set a short-term goal with aclass or choir. Recognize achievement,especially the small steps.

3. Take a moment to look back atyour successes. This is particularlyimportant when you or your groupmight be feeling low. Remember thatgoal setting is the first step to achievingany goal!

4. Use your walk. Stride purposeful-ly; look and feel energized. Students willmodel your behavior.

5. Be curious. Learn something new— a new song, a new choral score, a newsinging game. Ask students leadingquestions rather than just tell them allthe right answers.

6. Be grateful for what you haveinstead of focusing on what you lack.Always demonstrate your musical best.Children know when you are trying tofake it.

7. Stay in your own life. Stopcomparing yourself to others. Be true toyourself. You do not need to copysomeone else to be successful. You canbe you. Balance, in life and in class, beingrelaxed with staying on task.

8. Expect success. Plan well. Perse-

Elementary

Phyllis King


Officer Commentsvere. Practice. Re-evaluate. Then lookforward with a positive attitude. Expectsuccess.

9. Watch someone. Be willing towatch other teachers as they interact withstudents and colleagues. Model (notcopy) their self-confident behavior. Bewilling to reflect on how others work andthink.

10. Help someone. When you havesome music mojo to share, spread itaround! Be willing to share ideas andmusic activities with colleagues. It buildsthe mojo of your musical community

when you collaborate.I firmly believe all of those educa-

tional gurus listed above are ones with asense of their own personal mojo. Eventhough each of those educators has avastly different personality, they alldemonstrate a sense of comfortableconfidence often mixed with open self-reflection. Having seen many of theirpresentations in person, I can say withconfidence that each one has mostcertainly found his or her mojo. It maybe a challenge to find that special mojofor ourselves, but I know we can do it,

together. In building teachers/leaderswith self-confidence we will also bebuilding the student self-esteem. Teachermojo and student mojo . . . now thatwould be magic!

Here in 2011, I wish you a HappyNew Year of classroom and choir musicalmagic. Keep your mojo moving and I’llsee you soon at TMEA! √

*I found the basis of this list on the Internetfrom a blog by Marelissa called “24 SurefireWays to Get Your Mojo Working.” You mightwant to Google for the complete article at alater time.

Keep Your Lamps Trimmedand Burning, Not BurnedOut

As I write this article, my churchhas just completed final presenta-tions of our annual Christmas

celebration, Festival of Carols. All themonths of planning, preparation, andrehearsals are complete, the music hasbeen played and sung, the crowds havecome and gone, and now we move onto what’s next.

Of course, as you read this article, thecalendar will be moving well into 2011throwing us all headlong toward yetanother Lenten and Easter season.

I say it to myself every year, “Howcan time seem to be moving faster andfaster?” I’m sure many of us feel thesame way. In fact I will wager that Bachlooked up frequently from his writingbench to say, “How can Sunday becoming again . . . so soon?”

Time. We all feel its relentless march.We all have twenty-four hours of it eachday, and yet its pressures can push andpull us to feel rushed, hurried, scattered,frazzled, and fried. And certainly, toomuch time spent working can lead us tocareer burnout . . . or does it?

I know many people who workseventy hours a week and never feel anysymptoms of burnout, and I knowpeople who work part-time say they’veburned out, so is the amount of timespent working the culprit, or could it besomething else altogether?

Burnout is a major factor in ourprofession, whether serving in the localchurch or teaching in the classroom.Too many talented people have left thechoral profession altogether becauseburnout has robbed them of theirpassion for making music, and theysimply feel like they have nothing else tooffer. Their tanks are empty, and theirsouls need refreshing.

In speaking with colleagues aroundthe state, there is a common thread I hearquite often. Times are difficult. Due tothe state of our economy, many congre-gations face unprecedented shortfalls ingiving and resources are stretched far toothin. Our volunteers have more andmore involvements that take them awayfrom our music programs, and congre-gations become divided over musicalstyles, with staff members caught onboth sides of polarizing arguments. It isno wonder our leaders are experiencingburnout, and the factors point towardmore than just too many hours spent inthe office.

Family Systems Theory is a theory ofhuman behavior developed by MurrayBowen (1913-1990) that views the familyas an emotional unit. Systems-thinkingdescribes how the emotional unit of anuclear family functions as an integratedsystem, and like a flock of birds movingtogether, all in the family begin, act, andreact within the emotional field. The

family of origin is our original familywhere we learn our roles, but those rolescarry into the church, the school, oranyplace where human beings interact.According to Bowen, we are alwaysoperating within a family systems modelwith other human beings in a complexemotional field.

Self-differentiation protects theleader from the emotional roller coasterof the system. A poorly differentiatedperson cannot separate himself or herselffrom the emotional will of the system.The self-differentiated person recognizesa dependence on others, but remainscalm and non-anxious in the face ofemotional conflict. A self-differentiatedperson cares and remains connected, butknows how to operate in proportion tothe pull of the emotional system and theneed to remain independent.

By nature, working with peoplerequires tremendous amounts ofemotional energy. We must give and givesome more in order to get the desiredresults. Coaches, teachers, clergy,business leaders, and many others mustdraw upon their stores of emotionalenergy to motivate groups of peopletoward the desired results. We who arepassionate about music have much tooffer, so giving of ourselves to the musicisn’t the problem. Sure, we may becometired and need to recharge, but rarely dowe find ourselves burning out becausewe’ve had too many successful rehearsalswith lots of willing musicians workingon great music. Hard work doesn’tequate to burnout.

Burnout begins when we seek tosatisfy our personal emotional needsaffirmation and worth within the context

Church

Greg Shapley


Officer Commentsof the job. As long as things are goingwell, we feel wonderful, but as soon assituations become challenging anddifficult, our emotional needs begin togo unmet, and the signs of burnoutbegin to set in over a period of time.This is a dangerous situation, and we allneed to take stock from time to time andask the question, “Is what I’m feelingabout the job and its demands, or is thisabout me and my needs?” Self-differen-tiation helps keep the balance.

So what’s the antidote? Certainlytime away and is an important consider-

ation, but other factors must also beconsidered:

Healthy relationships beyond the job– seek out friendships away from theworkplace that center around othershared interests.

Never go it alone – have at least onecolleague you can call anytime to sharestruggles and seek input and counsel.

Develop activities and interestsbeyond the job – this sounds easy, butmany of us find it all too easy to work allof the time since we are doing what welove. However, we risk the emotional

danger of becoming the job rather thanperforming the job.

Do something physical – find sometime each day, even if it’s 10 or 15minutes to engage in some physicalactivity that also allows the mind andbody to take a break from the job.

Refresh the spirit – take the necessarytime for a spiritual retreat that involvesbecoming completely unplugged for atleast two or three days, preferably acouple of times a year. Leave all electron-ics at home, read for pleasure, enjoyquiet, and most important, listen for thatinternal voice. No work allowed!

First and foremost, we must remem-ber that we are spiritual beings, createdin God’s image to be creative. From ourearliest days in childhood, we filled ourdays with endless creativity. Adulthoodbrings about responsibility and timepressures. Yet, we are still that samecreative being, and we must continuallynurture that part of our souls.

There are times we feel very creativein our jobs, and other times that we feelwe may be crossing through a wilderness.The wilderness times can still beproductive if we have other areas of ourlives that satisfy our emotional needs. It’sa matter of self-care, health, and learningto self-differentiate. We have little tooffer if we feel empty and worn thin.

Recently, I had lunch with a choirmember who was talking about thedemands of her job. She works in ahospital, and has a very high-pressureposition working in patient advocacy.She said something that I will neverforget:

“Choir rehearsal is the only thing Iget to do for myself during the week. It’sthe thing I do where I get to create. Thechoir is my community, and I can bemyself there. The music feeds my soul,and I feel challenged and continuallywant to grow. I love choir. Thank youfor that.”

We must continually remember howimportant all of this is for the peoplewhom we serve. It is of eternal signifi-cance. Whether we find ourselvesserving in a church of 40 or 4000, thepeople deserve leaders who are emo-tionally balanced and healthy, ready toinspire them to the heights of greatmusic making. When caring for others,we must continually find ways to carefor ourselves. √

TCDA announces the inaugural Church Division Festival Chorus, Dr Donald Neuen, Director of Choral Activities at UCLA, conductor.

The Festival Chorus will be comprised of adult church choir singers from all around the state.Church music directors are asked to invite singers from their choirs with advanced musical skills

and vocal technique to participate in this historic event.

Quartets or a balanced number of singers from each choir are preferred. Singers will receive music packets after June 1 along with a practice CD for their voice part.

Cost per singer is $75. Singers will need to provide all transportation, meals, and hotel stay in San Antonio if planning to stay after the worship service.

The service and Festival Chorus performance take place Thursday evening, July 28,in the Sanctuary at First Baptist Church at 7:00 pm.

Family members may participate in the TCDA Convention activities by purchasing guest badgesthat allow access to the exhibits and workshops held at the Henry B Gonzalez ConventionCenter, San Antonio. TCDA cannot provide child care for family members of participants.


Officer Comments

Connection is the Key to Success. Letme list a few connection ideas foryou.Connection with the student. As

choral directors we should connect to ourstudents first, and then expect them to bemusicians. Connection can happen inseveral different ways. Connect with yourstudents’ interests other than music. Ihand out an information sheet at thebeginning of each school year for studentsto complete and return to me. Included isspace for the student to list his/her goalsand interests. I know that it is difficult toattend every event your students may bein involved in during the school year.However, if you just choose one and letthem know that you were there to supportthem, that speaks volumes. In case youcannot attend the event, ask the studentabout it the next time they are in choir.Also allow students to know that they cancome to your office and talk with youabout anything involving their life. Youare not only a choir director, but also asounding board for these students. Infact, you may be the only sounding boardin their lives. Once you connect to astudent, that student will do more for youin terms of involvement in choir, leader-ship in choir, and in helping with anydiscipline issues that may arise, becausethey become the model.

Connection in the music. A directorshould choose music that fits the choir.All too often we as choral directorschoose the music we want to perform,not necessarily the music that fits ourchoir. For example, when choosing UILmusic, look through the range, the text,the meaning of the text, and the characterof the piece and ask yourself whether ornot it fits your choir. After all of thesepoints have been determined, then askyourself, “Do I like this piece of music?”If you don’t like the music, you will notteach it well. In the case of UIL, I thinkdirectors too often have already made a

second or third division rating evenbefore teaching a note because the musicis not accessible to the choir. So mergethe two connections — you must choosemusic that is accessible to your choir; youmust choose music that you connect withso you will be an effective teacher.

Connection is a process of balance.The connection with students and theconnection with the music need to mergefor the success of a choral program. Thisconnection is a process that takes time toaccomplish within the school year. Aschoral directors we often focus on one ofthe two areas. For example we spendendless hours choosing the best literaturefor our choir but we have not taken thetime to invest in the students. Simply put,you must have students in the program toperform music. On the other hand, wemay have connected with our students

but we do not choose the appropriatemusic for the choir. It has taken me yearsto figure out the balance between the twoareas of connection with students andconnection with the music. Once theprocess of balancing these two areasclicks, you have success in your program!

I hope in some way I have stirredyour thoughts about connection. In theinstant communication times in whichwe live, the connection being a text or apost on Facebook, it is more importantthan ever that we connect on a one-to-one basis with our students. I highlyencourage you to connect! Even if youhave a system in place, think out of thebox to create new ways of connectingwith students. The process may seemslow now but the connection will last alifetime for you and the student.

Happy Connecting! √

Secretary/Treasurer

Kay Owens


ADT

Texas Choral Directors Association

56th Annual Convention and New Music Reading ClinicJuly 27-30, 2011 – San Antonio Convention Center

For registration information:TCDA n 7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A n Austin, TX 78754 n 512/474-2801 n TexasSings.org

The 2011 Convention will feature headlinersDonald Neuen, Jonathan Reed and LynneGackle, plus 13 New Music Reading Sessions

and more than 250 titles. Choose from 35-plusworkshops at all levels, including workshopsspecifically for Student Members. High schoolstudents preparing for careers in music will benefitfrom High School Student Day, a full-day conference

designed specifically for them. Enjoy performancesof TDCA Commissioned Works by Craig HellaJohnson and Dan Davidson, the MS/JH Honor Choirdirected by Lynne Gackle, and the inaugural ChurchDivision Festival Chorus, directed by Donald Neuen.Explore the Trade Show featuring more than 300exhibit booths, and don’t miss the BBQ, withentertainment by the House Jacks!



ADT

Texas Choral Directors Association

56th Annual Convention and New Music Reading ClinicJuly 27-30, 2011 – San Antonio Convention Center

For registration information:TCDA n 7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite A n Austin, TX 78754 n 512/474-2801 n TexasSings.org

The 2011 Convention will feature headlinersDonald Neuen, Jonathan Reed and LynneGackle, plus 13 New Music Reading Sessions

and more than 250 titles. Choose from 35-plusworkshops at all levels, including workshopsspecifically for Student Members. High schoolstudents preparing for careers in music will benefitfrom High School Student Day, a full-day conference

designed specifically for them. Enjoy performancesof TDCA Commissioned Works by Craig HellaJohnson and Dan Davidson, the MS/JH Honor Choirdirected by Lynne Gackle, and the inaugural ChurchDivision Festival Chorus, directed by Donald Neuen.Explore the Trade Show featuring more than 300exhibit booths, and don’t miss the BBQ, withentertainment by the House Jacks!

Documents

Texas Sings! Winter 2011 Issue