As you probably know, MENC has two journals, Teaching Music and Music Educators Journal. I am responsible for the news in both.
Click http://www.menc.org/publication/articles/journals.html for information about the magazines.
What do we consider news? Well, I handle information about the association, from our National Anthem Project to MENC lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to the new All-American Marching Band MENC is launching in conjunction with Sportslink, producer of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Visit http://www.menc.org/allamerican/2008/2008aam.html for more information about the inaugural band, which will perform in January 2008 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
The news I research and report includes in large part what members do, such as awards they win, books they write that MENC publishes, their conferences and the like.
Normally that keeps me pretty busy, but I am actually taking vacation this week. The public schools in Fairfax County, the Virginia county where I live and which MENC is located, have spring break this week.
I am spending some time decluttering my house and driving my 13 year-old son and his friends around. For example, I drove a friend’s son to soccer practice the other day and we started talking about a district choral festival in which he had sung a few weeks ago.
An eighth grader, he missed a basketball game in order to sing in the chorus. He realized that it was an honor to be chosen, though he wondered if the fact that girls outnumber boys five to one in his choir played a part, too. And while he thought the experience was interesting, he was of the opinion that the aforementioned girls in the group were way more excited to be rehearsing and singing than the boys were. Why was that, he wondered? Hmmmm.
Around the water cooler: In American Idol news, had to love Tony Bennett this week. He was way cool with the kids on Tuesday night. He offered them good insights. And overall, I think everyone sang better as a group than in previous weeks. And he was right, those songs were classics.
So America votes and Gina Glocksen goes buh bye. Not really surprised. She was ok, not overwhelming. On the other hand, Lakisha’s version of “Stormy Weather” was fabulous.
Years ago my husband and I saw Lena Horn http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0395043/ in her one-woman show on Broadway. When she sang “Stormy Weather” twice, first as a dewey movie ingénue would and later as a full-fledged, “Honey, I’ve earned the title, Diva, ” would sing it, she left me with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.
Lakisha wasn’t quite that good, but she made the song her own. As did Jordin. Jordin is definitely my favorite right now. She brings such personality and vivacity to every song and her “On a Clear Day” sparkled. Barbara who? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000659/
Hope spring has arrived where you are. See you next Thursday!
RF
Click http://www.menc.org/publication/articles/journals.html for information about the magazines.
What do we consider news? Well, I handle information about the association, from our National Anthem Project to MENC lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to the new All-American Marching Band MENC is launching in conjunction with Sportslink, producer of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Visit http://www.menc.org/allamerican/2008/2008aam.html for more information about the inaugural band, which will perform in January 2008 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
The news I research and report includes in large part what members do, such as awards they win, books they write that MENC publishes, their conferences and the like.
Normally that keeps me pretty busy, but I am actually taking vacation this week. The public schools in Fairfax County, the Virginia county where I live and which MENC is located, have spring break this week.
I am spending some time decluttering my house and driving my 13 year-old son and his friends around. For example, I drove a friend’s son to soccer practice the other day and we started talking about a district choral festival in which he had sung a few weeks ago.
An eighth grader, he missed a basketball game in order to sing in the chorus. He realized that it was an honor to be chosen, though he wondered if the fact that girls outnumber boys five to one in his choir played a part, too. And while he thought the experience was interesting, he was of the opinion that the aforementioned girls in the group were way more excited to be rehearsing and singing than the boys were. Why was that, he wondered? Hmmmm.
Around the water cooler: In American Idol news, had to love Tony Bennett this week. He was way cool with the kids on Tuesday night. He offered them good insights. And overall, I think everyone sang better as a group than in previous weeks. And he was right, those songs were classics.
So America votes and Gina Glocksen goes buh bye. Not really surprised. She was ok, not overwhelming. On the other hand, Lakisha’s version of “Stormy Weather” was fabulous.
Years ago my husband and I saw Lena Horn http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0395043/ in her one-woman show on Broadway. When she sang “Stormy Weather” twice, first as a dewey movie ingénue would and later as a full-fledged, “Honey, I’ve earned the title, Diva, ” would sing it, she left me with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.
Lakisha wasn’t quite that good, but she made the song her own. As did Jordin. Jordin is definitely my favorite right now. She brings such personality and vivacity to every song and her “On a Clear Day” sparkled. Barbara who? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000659/
Hope spring has arrived where you are. See you next Thursday!
RF
