My Wish

My wish, for music education, is that the federal government gives it the kind of recognition that it deserves... lalala...

That's my Rascal Flatts shout-out for the day :-) Happy Friday everyone!!

Today, in honor of HLS's recent "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"-style mid-afternoon Rascal Flatts concert experience, I will be sharing a few photos from the show that she attended. HLS got to attend this local Commonwealth bar performance thanks to being at the right place at the right time during a ticket give-away (lucky lucky!). Here are a few snaps from the show...



Pretty cool, huh?? I'm no huge Rascal Flatts fan myself, but I think that they're definitely fun to listen to, and catchy if nothing else. Quite amazing what a foothold pop-country has taken on mainstream radio (which is 99% garbage anyway, in my opinion) these days... Anyways, congrats to HLS who got to have this super cool experience this week, and was quite obviously, very close to the band when she snapped those shots!

The weather is awesome here today in Reston and I think that it's safe to say that everyone is hopeful for a fun and relaxing weekend. Personally I'm sad that I'll have to wait another whole week before the Redskins have an opportunity to avenge their brutal loss to the Giants, but alas, HOCKEY SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND!! WOOHOO!! The Ducks and the Kings will play a two game series in London as a special kick-off to the 2007-2008 season (VERY cool!). SKJ is especially excited for the NHL's trip over to Britain... she's been a London junkie ever since I got to MENC! (I think perhaps she secretly WANTS to be British--nothing wrong with that!).

In music education related news... check out the September edition of the MENC Legislative Memo for some interesting happenings on the government relations front, and also make certain to take a peak at the latest MusicFriends newsletter! We looooooooove our MusicFriends! Also, SKJ and HLS did a MARVELOUS job getting MENC ready for the annual Caitlin Classic Golf Tournament, which was again, an amazing success! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! And if you live in and around the Commonwealth, enjoy what might be one of the last warm weekends this year!

And now... here are the Friday...

"Government Relations & Outreach Department Album Picks of the Week!!!"

SKJ: Fergie - The Dutchess
HLS: Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good
CBLW: Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Thursday Interlude: All Together Now

Hi All

So yesterday my son Matt had a freshman football game on a opposing field several miles away. As my husband and I were walking into the stadium, the teams, our kids and the opposing team were warming up. The first thing I noticed was there team was a lot bigger than ours. And no I don't mean they were giant, hulking 14-year-olds. No, they outnumbered out team by quite a lot.

As I walked past, I heard one of the coaches say to the opposing team as they did furious versions of jumping jacks "How bad do you want this? How bad?" The players grunted something back and I headed over to our bleachers to wait for the game. My husband Steve is a walking, talking, stats book, so he told me how the other team was 2-0, how their team was good because the feeder program for the high school was so strong and yada, yada, yada. Still, I felt relatively good about the game because...because....well, just because.

Do you ever have a good feeling about something for no reason? Well,that is how I felt last night as our freshmen Hornets took the field. I wasn't sure Matt would actually play. His back bothered him this week and spent more time with the trainers than the coaches at practice this week, but in the warm-ups he appeared to be running and moving normally.

The game was really neat for our baby Hornets. An interception. Three successful goal line stands. Some clock-eating offensive drives. We led 7-0 at halftime and later with about five minutes to go in the game, we were ahead 14-6. Right after the opposing team scored their first touchdown, they missed their extra point. Yea for us! Still, they decided to try an onside kick so they could try and get the ball back right away and score again.

Matt's big contribution to the game was recovering the onside kick to give us the ball back. We held on to win, which was great because the past two games, they took an early lead and then kind of fell apart in the second half and lost. That they believed in themselves enough to win this time around was really great. Matt told me later at home that no one at school believed they would win, but they believed, which was all that mattered.

The players were so pumped after the game. After huddling with the coaches, they ran off the field, big grins on their faces to the buses. How did they celebrate the big win on the way home? Well, since champagne is frowned upon during high school bus rides, they sang. Sang all the way back to school. At the top of their lungs. And what did they sing? A song I am sure they all learned in preschool. I know Matt learned it from watching Barney when he was four or so. Shh. Don't tell him I told you that.

I quote from the venerable Wikipedia:

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt is a traditional children's song of obscure origin. Its lyrics are:

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt,

His name is my name too.

Whenever we go out

The people always shout,

"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt."

La, la, la, la, la, la, la

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt,

His name... [repeat ad infinitum]

The song is frequently sung by young children at communal outings such as long bus rides.

Perhaps I should edit the Wikipedia entry to add ... "and freshmen football players"

My sincere apologies to the bus driver last night. And my sincere thanks to getting all of the players back to the high school safely. La La La La La La La. Ad infinitum.

Tomorrow night we play the varsity version of the the same team at our school and I plan to go to the game, in part so I can see the marching band in action. And, and, and I am really excited about this: On Saturday the school will host a Showcase of Bands, from noon to 10 pm. More than 30 bands will perform their routines. I am not sure I will be able to hang out for ten hours, but I will go for a good chunk of it.

As I write this, I am reminded that little mini dramas are playing out on fields all over the country as kids win football games or perform intricate marching routines and master tricky notes at the same time. Then there are all of the cross-country meets and field hockey games.

One of my favorite parts of work here is that I get information from lots of members. Sometimes I can use it right way, other times not. I receive frequent emails from teachers letting me (and others on the MENC staff) what is going on in their music programs.

I received the email below from Joseph Rutkowski, one of our more frequent pen pals. Rutkowski has been director of Instrumental Music at Great Neck North High since 1991.

Members of the Great Neck( New York) North High School Pep Band practice for
Saturday's Homecoming performance

Earlier this week Rutkowski wrote:

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO
The Season's Opening Public Performance of the Great Neck( New York) North High School Pep Band on Polo Road in Great Neck at the FOOTBALL FIELD
halfway between Old Mill Road and Arrandale Avenue
on Saturday, September 29 at 1:30 PM
with Maestri Jonathan Yousefzadeh, Nadav Levy and Matthew Shore Conductors
in a program of popular, patriotic and classic works by
John Phillip Sousa, John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Lalo Schifrin, and
Satchmo!
Featuring the future legends of the GNNHS Symphonic Band.

I liked that last part. Future legends.

Now, I can't make it up to Great Neck myself this weekend, but if you are in the area, drop by.

And if you would like to let me know what is going on in your music program, my email is Rozf@menc.org. I would love to hear from you. I can't guarantee I will use it the journal news or online, but I just might.

This week was one of transition for me. MB sent November Music Educators Journal to the printer and I had my news meeting to discuss stories for December Teaching Music. Starting interview process for those stories. Any who I guess I will get back to my day job.

I will try to remember to shoot some video at the Showcase of Bands event this weekend so I can share that with you next week.

Til Next Thursday

La La La La La La La

RF

Midweek Meanderings and Miscellany XXVIII: Gershwin and Upshaw

Driving into work in the dark, amidst the jockeying of cars, what a bright spot to hear, on Public Radio's "The Writers Almanac", that today is GEORGE GERSHWIN's birthday! Born in 1898....Brooklyn, NY.....the story of "Rhapsody in Blue" (1924).

Quoting liberally from The Writers' Almanac:

Gershwin was "forced to write (The Rhapsody) on short order because his friend Paul Whiteman wanted to put on a jazz concert and decided to advertise that the concert would include a new piece by the young George Gershwin. Gershwin only learned about the concert when he saw the newspaper advertisement, and he suddenly had only six weeks to produce something. He came up with the main theme while playing piano for friends at a party."

"The concert began at 2:30 p.m. on February 12, 1924, and it consisted of 23 pieces of music. Gershwin had finished all the orchestra parts, but he'd left the piano part blank, so that he could improvise on stage. In the middle of the concert, the ventilation system broke down, and people were getting restless. Several people had gotten up to leave when "Rhapsody in Blue" was announced, and Gershwin came out on stage to play the piano with the orchestra. When the opening clarinet part was played, the people who had been getting ready to leave went back to their seats. Rhapsody in Blue soon became one of the most famous and popular pieces of serious music ever composed by an American."

"Gershwin died of brain cancer in 1937. He was just 38."

And another genius, recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, becoming a MacArthur Fellow: Dawn Upshaw, soprano par excellence....click HERE to read more! (scroll to end of page)

A few resources below to see you through your week - and catch you next week! SR

Music Ed. Major turned opera star to be

Young Arts

Music and Faith

Tuesday Report

We've been in some intensive meetings the last few weeks about how we're going to improve our Web site to meet the increasing needs of our members. Later today I have a conference call to hash out some of the final details before we can begin this gigantic project. I am very excited about the developments that we're going to be able to share with you over the next several months.

The meetings have made clear to me (even more clear than it already was) how fast Web technology changes and how hard it is to keep up! Technology in music education is no different. Here are two blogs published by MENC members from which I've learned a lot recently:

The Digital Music Educator -- Owen Bradley, North Port High School, FL

MUSicTECHnology.net -- Joe Pisano, Grove City College, PA



Do you have a blog you'd like other MENC members to know about? E-mail me at elizabethl@menc.org.

Nothing clears the mind for me like great live music. Last week's Marty Stuart show at the Birchmere was A+++++ spectacular. What a musician -- and what an entertainer! Really knows how to work the crowd! He and his three piece band, the Fabulous Superlatives, alternated between telecaster-heavy country (songs like "The Whiskey Ain't Working" and "Hillbilly Rock") and bluegrass with fantastic gospel harmonies ("Working on a Building"). And Marty has a wonderful regard for country music history that he shared with the audience through numerous stories. For instance, Marty was Johnny Cash's longtime next door neighbor and at the Birchmere he performed a song they'd written together just a few days before Cash's death. (It was about being a hangman, which they'd decided what the worst job anyone could have.) Later on, Barry Gibb bought the Johnny Cash house (which subsequently burned down, but he's going to rebuild) and Marty and his band thought they'd better learn a Bee Gees song for the housewarming. So we were treated to a full bluegrass treatment of "Stayin' Alive." Fabulously superlative indeed.

A show I'm looking forward to later this week is Peter Case at a small club called Jammin' Java. Peter is a great songwriter whose new album features a guest spot by one of my all time faves, Richard Thompson.

Well, better get back to Web stuff. Also, collegiate promotions, review of our forthcoming catalog of MENC specialty items, etc. etc. etc.

Onward!!! (with plenty of twang, if at all possible!)

The Ultimate Monolith of Cool in My World?

While Harley and I were off frolicking on our week off the end of August, the dauntless MENC staff were having a “social” celebrating staff birthdays and anniversaries. Well, do tell, PF, our fearless web guru announces that a staff member has a 24-year anniversary and that this staff member is the “ultimate monolith of cool.” OK, would you know who he is talking about? Well, it couldn’t be me, I have 27 years. It couldn’t be Harley, he has almost 4 years, I mean both Harl and me are pretty cool in our own mind and world….. So, who could it be? It turns out to be our fearless leader, Dr. M. (Remember the pudding caper with our former Director of Government Relations?????) Yes the same Dr. Pudding. (They even changed his sign from "Executive Director to "UltimateMofC") Before we (Harley and Me) start this, please note – those who know me know for a fact I don’t “suck-up” to anyone, especially Dr. Pudding-whatever-his-name-might-be-for-this-week (yes, I have several)…. I have worked as this man’s assistant for all those 24 years, if I didn’t kind of like him, I would have been out-of-here a long time ago.

Did you know he is an eloquent spokesman for arts education and he has built a reputation throughout the nation as an effect leader in the field? He has had a distinguished career “that weaves together the twin strands of art and music into a single distinctive contribution to arts education in America.” I have not the foggiest who wrote that sentence but it is as cool as PF’s quote: “The Ultimate Monolith of Cool.” He (JJM not PF) has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in fine arts from Boston U, and a doctorate in education from Penn State. He worked for the National Art Education Association from 1970 to 1982. He joined MENC in 1983 when our previous executive director, Don Dillon, moved to Texas. (Dr. Dillon brought me to MENC in 1979 from Oklahoma......little did MENC know what they were getting......ME)

Dr. M can indeed look formidable (see Dr. Pudding-Caper photo to the right) – it is his look. I’m not saying he is a pussycat (he is highly allergic to them) but I have seen airport personnel let him go right through the line – they would not ask him to step over to search his carryon – no sirree - they do that to me. Could be cause I smile at them? I make eye contact? Do I look dangerous? Never mind. He is, overall, a great guy and if you, the MENC member, ever have the chance to talk with him – do it, you will enjoy the conversation.

On a personal note he is married to a great lady, has one son, one daughter-in-law, and the most adorable little granddaughter you have ever met. If you want to see the Monolith crumble, bring in that little girl running as fast as she can toward him with her little arms outstretched. Works every time!

Congratulations, Dr. Pudding, for 24 years of service to MENC and putting up with me……and Harley…..

My Prerogative

Hello! And a very happy musical Friday to all!!

What a glorious day it is, indeed! This is the kind of delightful early autumn afternoon that just makes you want to stand up and break into song! (I guess it's rather appropriate that I work for a music education organization--now isn't it??). In any event, since I'm feeling so especially cheery and musically inspired today, perhaps the lead off topic for this posting should be... MUSIC!! (what else???)

Every Friday here at MENC you see, each member of the Government Relations & Outreach Department staff selects a personal "Album of the Week" pick. The album of the week feature is a lot of fun for all of us (it builds character--or something like that...), but it's also an awesome opportunity for everyone to discover some new and exciting music, and to learn all about the (sometimes frightening) musical tastes of the wonderful people who work here! (I kid, I kid) So today I thought, "hmm... maybe this week it would be fun to try to bring everyone in on the fun! Heck, "Inside MENC" alone (haha get it?), there must be practically a zillion different opinions of what qualifies as good music. So this week, I'm encouraging all of the blog's readers to submit your own personal favorite albums of the week! Your album selection can come from any genre of your choosing (just try to stay classy, Reston) and should include both the artist AND album name of your pick. Hopefully we'll get some great feedback in the comment section this week and we can talk about the new tune suggestions in future postings!

In other news... ONE member of our department may or may not be auditioning for a role as an extra in an upcoming film that may or may not be the "Sex and the City" movie. ONE member of our department may or may not have her desk BURIED in an absolute avalanche of "The Power of Music" advocacy brochures (they're finally here!!), and all the members of our department are very excited about seeing a variety of upcoming moving picture shows and Redskin games this weekend! WOOHOO!!

And now for a couple of government relations and advocacy related announcements.

Ahem:

Read today's MENC Legislative ALERT! Starting next week, order your "The Power of Music" advocacy brochures! Order an awesome brick for the front walk! Get involved with local music education advocacy! And don't forget to tip your waiter!

Have a great weekend all!! I expect some great new music recommendations on here next week!!

And now... here are the Friday...

"Government Relations & Outreach Department Album Picks of the Week!!!"

SKJ: Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
HLS: Dispatch - Bang Bang
CBLW: Matt White - Best Days

Thursday Interlude

I know, I know. I usually go on for pages, but my post this week will be short because I have been finishing up November Music Educators Journal news pages and also revising the online version of the October Teaching Music online news I am getting a late start today. A big shout out to DP for doing the Web stuff for me and putting up what was probably one revision too many. I have promised him his own stash of chocolate chip cookies as a reward for not throwing me out of his office when I asked to add just one PDF link. Click on the link above and you can see the fantabulous job he did formatting my text and photos.

I mentioned November MEJ news a moment ago. Stories about the return of the World's Largest Concert next March for the World's Largest Concert.
Hal Leonard Corp is providing the sheet music for use with the concert.
Students selected to march with the US. Army All-American Marching Band will be announced beginning Oct. 2.

What else? Oh, right. The 2008 MENC National In-Service Conference in Milwaukee will feature the African Children's Choir and the Ahn Trio, both audience pleasers.

Ten Hut. Cheerleaders at attention. Sorry this is so dark. I took it around dusk yesterday.

Aside from my print and Web projects this week, away from the office this week, I went to my son's freshman football game last night. I will spare you the details of the score. I have talked some friends who played high school and each of the guys told me you learn a lot of losses. They must have learned a lot last night, including no matter how good you are, someone is bigger, faster, stronger. Plus there is always a game next week.

Anyway, while they played the marching band was rehearsing in the parking lot behind the football stadium. I climbed to the top of the bleachers and shot this little film clip with my phone. No one will confuse me with Stephen Spielberg, but I like the sound of the drum line.




Fall doesn't arrive officially until Sunday, I guess, but the cooler weather around this week has me gazing at the leaves behind my office for hints of color among the green and wearing sweaters. Hope fall is a good season for you this year. March on brothers and sisters.
Til next Thursday
RF

Midweek Meanderings and Miscellany XXVII: Autumnal Memories, Melodies and Musings....

What fantastic weather we had this past weekend, and up through Tuesday! cool clear nights, night sky nearly blue, with a new yellow crescent moon....and days of no humidity, light breezes, fresh crisp air and warm sunshine you WANT shining on you to take the "brrr!" out! The crickets' chirps are slower, and the birds are furiously eating up the last of the berries and fruits on the bushes and trees.....the acorns are down, and the activity of the squirrels is robust.....even the leaves have started to turn. Fall is only two days away!

When autumn and crisp weather arrive, I always (somewhat wistfully!) think of New England, missing the bright extreme colors of the trees and frosty mornings......and I think of songs and artists having to do with, and from, New England.... having lived within walking distance of Harvard Square in the early 80's, I was privileged to catch a lot of folk song-sters who later gained some bit of fame....seeing Suzanne Vega at Passim was one such memory.

Another New England artist I followed back then is Cindy Kallet, who is still going strong! What a songstress! What an instrumentalist! Do yourself a favor and listen to Kallet, Epstein and Cicone....the vocal harmonies this trio conjures up are stunning. Check them out, if not by my recommendation, then: "Cindy Kallet is the very personification of the best of American folk music: her songs are rich, deep textured and often moving and her voice, as Gordon Bok put it, 'will give you the shivers,'" - Stone Soup" CLICK for more info!

Another wonderful artist from younger days is Billy Joel. Not someone you think of as a folk artist, at first - but the more you listen to his songs, the more you realize he's telling stories that stand the test of time, about common every day lives. I recently re-watched (for upteenth time) Billy Joel Greatest Hits video album (and the Essential Video Collection)....and each time I view it, Joel's artistry seeps into me even more. The videos bring new meaning and light to his story songs, and harmonies, and poetry....worth checking out!

Will leave you with a few articles, folk music resources, and interesting tidbits, as there is not much new to discuss in the work realm, just working on surveys, reports, and requests for members....

Hope your week goes well, and see you next week! SR

LA BOHEME: new production aims to capture the young crowd

Pressure on opera singers is leading to drug, alcohol abuse

Metropolitan Opera's 30th anniversary on PBS:Cast your votes for your favorite televised
moments from the Met. Browse a selection of video excerpts online from Met telecasts spanning 30 years, then vote for your top 10 favorites and rank your choices. The results of the vote
will create the line-up for the new program GREAT MOMENTS AT THE MET: VIEWER'S CHOICE, hosted by opera diva ReneeFleming, which will be broadcast this December on PBS (check local listings). Choose from a wide range of unforgettable performances, beginning with the very first LIVE FROM THE MET telecast of "La Boheme" in 1977, starring the young Luciano Pavarotti. Click HERE!

FOLK RESOURCES:

GIAMUSIC

GET AMERICA SINGING AGAIN

Library of Congress

SONGS for TEACHING

FED GOV FREE

A whirlwind week & weekend in my world

WOW - Have no idea where last week went. I was here Monday-Wednesday and then headed up to Philly on Thursday morning. Squeezing five days of work into three kind of worked. I started the Board Book and felt good about that! My trainer/tennis coach is having a tennis tournament last week and this. At doubles (names were drawn out of a hat) my partner and I lost - 4 games to 8. But that was OK. Tuesday night I attended a workshop at my favorite craft store and made 8 cards. AND then to Philly -- Harley loved the King Tut Exhibition, the Cracked Liberty Bell, AND Eastern State Penitentiary. Harley was so amazed with King Tut's childhood chair - all he could think of was Tut's little butt sat in that chair 3000 years ago and he didn't quite know what to make of a broken bell or why he had to sit there looking interested.

The Penitentiary was the first one built in the United States and is very very interesting and, yes, spooky even in the daytime. The prison was designed to inspire penitence-or true regret-in the hearts of the criminals. The original seven cellblocks spread like the spokes of a wheel, and had running water and central heat before the White House. The idea was to isolate the inmates from everything. They could not leave their cells once locked in. Well worth a trip. A number of movies and TV shows have been filmed there. Two of my "haunting" shows have filmed there -- Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters. Get this --- You even had to sign a waiver to get in releasing them from any accidents you might have on the grounds. The prison looks like a castle fortress and Philly built around it. It was great to do this trip. Went up Thursday morning and returned Saturday at noon time. (More info can be found at http://www.easternstate.org/).

On Sunday morning, I played a tennis tourney single game and won 8 games to 0. The gal I played was such a sweetheart. She is just getting back into tennis and will be really good if she sticks with lessons this winter. I told her by next summer the score would be reversed. So now I am awaiting news on who I will be playing in the quarter finals. The semis and finals are this coming Saturday. It is a fun way for me to get my cardio in....... So, how is the week ahead for me in my world..... Not sure, I am plugging away at the board book and awaiting a call from our national president to review the agenda.

I was able to get a Leadership News out last Wednesday with tidbits on our upcoming board meeting and a reminder for members to check out the MENC website for input into the MENC Strategic Plan. The Plan is very important as it will guide the association the next year and play an important role in budgeting. I am also working on the bios and photos of our candidates for national division presidents-elect. I should close here and get back to work. Have a good week in your world!

A Star-Spangled Day...

Hello all!!

Ahhhhhhh... I very much missed the Anytown, USA feel of the "Inside MENC" blog last week! It's good to be back! And on such a patriotic day at that! For today is... drum roll please... National Anthem Day!! WOOHOO!! Yes, that's right, the day reserved for celebration of our national song has FINALLY arrived! All across America today music teachers and their students have been celebrating the national anthem in patriotic local events. Here in Reston, MENC had its own special little celebration this morning (see above), with our amazing and talented staff offering their own rendition of the anthem (we're nothing if not musically inclined around here). And so, there has been a feeling of great pride all day here in the Commonwealth on this Friday, as we pay homage to America's history, and to the glory of music education! (actually, we do that, every day)

Now to play a little bit of catch up... since I've been out of the blog loop for two weeks, here are some other interesting news items from the past 14 days or so (music education related, and not), that you may enjoy! Welcome back to our world:

(1.) The first ever MENC Legislative ALERT was distributed to subscribers last week (celebration dance underway!)

(2.) Apple recently unveiled its new lineup of iPods (droooooooooool--SKJ and HLS have been making fun of me for pre-ordering a new iPod touch--WHATever. it's awesome.)

(3.) The NFL season officially kicked off last week--the Redskins defeated Miami Sunday at FedEx Field (we're 1-0 baby!!)

(4.) SKJ and HLS have been working like crazy in preparation for the 2007 "Caitlin Classic" Golf Tournament this coming Monday. It's going to be an amazing experience!

(5.) Lots of exciting government relations meetings have been going on! Planning advocacy strategies is always exciting for us policy wonks ;-)

(6.) "Across the Universe" comes out this weekend. You should see it! It looks great :-)

(7.) Chairman George Miller's Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 reauthorization title drafts have been released with some very interesting material for review!

(8.) Washington Capitals training camp opens today!!!

(9.) "The Power of Music" advocacy brochures will be going on sale VERY VERY SOON!!

(10.) The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks!! (fall is finally here!)

That's all for now! See you next week!

And now... here are the Friday...

"Government Relations & Outreach Department Album Picks of the Week!!!"

SKJ: Luciano Pavarotti - Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti
HLS: Jeff Buckley - So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley
CBLW: Silverchair - Young Modern

Thursday Interlude

Buzz. So, last night I had another first in my son's first year of high school—my first PTSA meeting. I learned a lot about the inner workings of the school:

• Enrollment is up a bit (2,180) from pre-opening projections so the principal is working to add teachers to bring class sizes down a couple of areas.
• School is off a good start. Teachers are teaching. Students are cracking books. Including mine. That wasn't on the agenda last night. I just wanted to mention that.
  
• Homecoming dance tickets will be on sale soon. Homecoming festivities includes a parade with class floats and the marching band of course, a pre-game bonfire where the school's garage bands perform, a talent show and, shred on dude, a Guitar Hero contest.
• The school has six National Merit Scholar semi-finalists
• A blizzard of fundraising activities are underway—restaurant discount coupons, pizza dough, cookie dough, ink cartridges, lanyards. I remember selling some kind of miracle household cleaner when I was in band. I would have rather toted around restaurant coupons and lanyards than gallon jugs (What's that you are playing? Oh, right, the world's tiniest violin).
  
• Volunteers are needed to staff the concession stand, which in turn raises a good chunk of change for various booster groups.
  
• A myriad of sports are underway: football, field hockey, volley ball, cross country, etc.
• The All Night Grad party committee has begun planning for the last great ritual of high school next June.
• The fall play will be You Can't Take it With You (Hold on a second. I remember that from high school. I auditioned for a small role, didn't get it and ended up helping out with props. Love those wacky Sycamores. Note to me. Put November 8 on the calendar)
• The spring play will be "Kiss Me Kate" another fun play. Boy, I am liking high school.
• Now a report from the PTSA band liaison. I perk up and start taking notes.
  
• The fall band marching program will based on the Russian Revolution of 1917 and include music from Dmitri Shostakovich , which debut at the first home game tomorrow night. I have seen the band practicing off and on when I picked up my son from football practice and I am looking forward to watching the full program for the first time.
  

Now here is where my work life and my life as a mom attending a PTSA meeting collided last night. The liaison announced that the band wind ensemble had been selected to perform at the VMEA in-service conference in November. She talked about what an honor it was to have been selected and how excited they were to be performing and there was a little murmur of recognition of that fact. I felt a little flush of pride for my day job.

Other band news included the fact that the longtime band director and his assistant are both retiring after this year and the band will perform at competitions in New York, Towson, Maryland, and at the Naval Academy stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

The meeting continued with reports from other committees Junior ROTC, Membership and newsletter, but I will leave those to your imagination. There was one final report that resonated with me, though.

Our school district and our school in particular may be faced with some boundary changes next year, always a wrenching process for all involved as populations shift. One plan would have two elementary schools, including the one my son attended, switched to another high school pyramid.

I thought it was interesting that the band liaison mentioned taking an informal poll and learning about if those two school shifts to the other school, the band would lose about a third of its members. There will be plenty of town hall meetings and lots of testimony to come before decisions are make and the PTSA will work to get their side of the story out there.

Before I leave you for the week, I'd like to share a story my fellow blogger SR found. It is a neat story about how marching bands in New Orleans are rebounding post-Hurricane Katrina. Just a reminder of how important music programs are to the school and to the community as a whole. But you knew that.

Til Next Thursday
RF

Midweek Meanderings and Miscellaney XXVI: LIGHTS OUT, LIFE STORIES and INFO as Usual!

Bit of a drama at MENC Monday, a city transformer blew somewhere in the vicinity of the MENC headquarters. Coming back from a lunch time errand, I noticed the traffic lights at the foot of our road were out. As I walked into the building, instead of the usual bright light, a night-like darkness enveloped the reception area beyond the glass enclosed lobby. The entire MENC building was without power - not even the emergency lights! Except for the offices with windows, the entire inner part of the building was pitch dark. I felt like a mole in a mole hole, feeling my way in the dark, calling out for fear of bumping into someone! Some staff were giddy, it was like a snow day, to have everything quiet, interrupted, and wondering if power would come back on ....and, when we found out that power would not be restored for nearly 2 hours or more, staff were let go.....early release day! How often do you get THOSE?! Some staff brought work home with them, and others came in extra early the next day.....MENC's business must go on!!

Hum of the school year definitely back and everyone busy as bees. A few things that came across my plate this week.....keeps me on my toes, and makes me appreciate what I do here!

- a request from a Mom who had played string instruments growing up, and who was in a quandary about how to encourage (or not) her young 3 year old daughter with her music making. The problem stemmed from the history of the family: the writer's Grandmom had wanted a career in music, and so pushed HER daughter (the writer's Mom).....but, the writer's Mom DIDN'T WANT a career in music, and resented her Mom (the writer's grandmom) for pushing her, so, the writer's Mom did NOT encourage the writer in HER music career.....and so now, this third generation daughter who wrote MENC was torn about how to handle her OWN 3 year old (4th generation), who was showing a natural inclination to music, and seemed to have a knack for the piano, as she was going over to the piano a few times a day on her own initiative, and picking out tunes and scales. CONFUSED?! Think how the poor writer Mom feels!!

- a phone call from Tunisia, a doctor calling on behalf of a friend in Ghana, who wants to come to the U.S. to continue post -graduate studies in music; they wondered if we had any resources for scholarships

- an associate professor of music education undertaking a study on the effects of breast cancer on musicians (she herself a survivor), asking if MENC could somehow get word out about the study - CLICK HERE if you're a breast cancer survivor and musician!

- another long time MENC member CW has her oldest son coming home from Iraq this week, after a year and 4 months in the service, and her second oldest son getting married, all within a day of each other!

- another MENC member, EF, tragically lost her 9 year old daughter in a car accident in mid-August.....

- long time MENC member (now retired, but still incredibly active in private lessons, church music, university band music and other events and activities) DM notified us that she was chosen by her city as one of 29 "Good Neighbors" in Louisville KY; people who went above and beyond in helping their community.

I ran across this the other day while searching for info on youth orchestras, thought it might be fun to share:
2005 U.S. Census Bureau survey on Arts and Leisure in the U.S., had some statistics regarding "Adult Participation in Selected Leisure Activities" . Of 44 possible activities (singing not a choice, but flying kites was!) MUSIC landed in the TOP 13! As an activity/pastime, 5,563,000 people responded that they did "Play a musical instrument 2 or more times/week". The activities that beat music for having more people engaging in these activities 2 or more times/week involved food (naturally!) and words and games!
reading books 43, 036,000
surfing the net 39,182,000
dining out 21,202,000
crosswords 14,216,000
cooking for fun 13, 145,000
barbecuing 11,499,000
video games 9,432,000
baking 7,274,000
entertain friends or relatives at home 6,928,000
word games 6,832,000
playing cards 6,304,000
electronic games (not tv) 5,920,000
(note: blogging was not a choice!)
For more info and detail, see Table 1225 HERE!

CHECK THESE OUT!
European Union directive on noise abatement contains a provision that will limit the "noise" of symphony orchestras beginning early next year! In all serious, this is the warning issued! "Listening to live symphonic and opera music may cause conductive, sensorineural, or central hearing loss".
Read all about HERE! and HERE!

And see MENC's Health in Music Education Position Statement

And, two university "wellness" departments for musicians/artists
U. North Texas Center for Music and Medicine
George Mason U. (VA) Center for Arts and Wellness

Speaking of hearing loss, the Washington Post Sunday magazine had a very moving and thought provoking essay by a musician confronting his hearing loss: MASTER GUITAR MAKER

Mentioned El Sistema in last week's blog, the children's orchestra for at risk street kids. Read what Julian Lloyd Webber has to say about "Venezuela's social and cultural miracle" "One man's dream has ensured that Venezuela is not only the first South American country to play classical music better than football, but that its youth orchestra is the finest advertisement any country could wish for". "Every one of (the young musicians) has a story to tell". "I'd either be dead or still living on the streets smoking crack like when I was eight," said a french horn player.
READ the full article HERE
(For more links to stories about the Youth Orchestra, write info@menc.org)

and JUST for fun!
Chocolate is for everyone!

Have a good week and see you next week! SR

Tuesday Return

I am back from a few days off for traveling to visit family, and everyone is in back-to-school mode around here. I have many meetings to prepare for and tons of e-mail and mail to get through. So today I just thought I'd share this photo a friend sent me of her son Simon making the most of every moment of his busy day. I really admire all the parents out there who are juggling hectic schedules so that their kids can take advantage of important and life-enhancing opportunities like sports and music.

I haven't seen Simon play baseball yet, but he played the violin for me over the summer and I was way impressed! Keep up the great work, Simon!

An Archeological Dig in My World

I know, I know, you didn't hear from me last week since I was off on an archeological dig in my craft world. YES, Harley did make it home OK and helped at times with the dig when he wasn't hiding under the mounds of craft supplies that I was cleaning up and cleaning out. I decided that the last week in August was to be the rediscovery of a room that has been buried under unfinished projects for the last 6 months. We did finally get it to a point of livability!

Then I came back to work on Tuesday, Sept. 4, to mounds and mounds of unanswered e-mails. Whew - I finally got all of them taken care of by Thursday. Then we were in preparation for a visit from some of our members including the Florida state president and state executive director (who is also co-chair for our Advocacy Task Force), our other Advocacy Task Force co-chair, Southern Division President, and MENC President. Meetings went all day on Friday. Harley tried to stay out of trouble by reading a book. You see on his travels he stayed in a lot of hotel rooms and is now back ensconced in my office making sure evey one talks to him when they enter. Just another normal day in my world. He is such a cone head.

I have to now start to concentrate on the upcoming National Executive Board meeting the first of November. A draft agenda needs to be sent to the executive committee and then the board. The division presidents are getting in touch with their state presidents to have reports posted on the web by September 24. The Board Book will need to be prepared after that date and ready to mail on October 9. And in between all of this - I'm gonna go see KING TUT in Philly September 13-14! Oh boy - Harley can't wait to have his photo made with Tut (he tends to think boy king is still alive). However, I betcha we can't take photos in the Franklin Museum. Stay tuned for next Monday and we will see what Harley got away with (not treasurers just photos..... we won't let him rot in jail). No never. It is rawking in my world. Have a great week!

Thursday Interlude: "O Sole Mio"

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007

Friday Sept 7, 2007
A Pavarotti update from RF
Ahem: For more on the great one's musical and other legacies, visit the updated NPR Web site here

Yesterday evening as I was driving to the high school to pick up my son Matt from football practice, I heard the news on NPR that Luciano Pavarotti was gravely ill. I knew he suffered complications from pancreatic cancer for a while. The report said he was at home with family and friends and slipping in and out of consciousness. When I woke up this morning and learned he had died. I was sad, sad but not surprised.

I went to the NPR Web site this morning and they have a wonderful tribute to him.
Visit the NPR Web site here and you can read about Pavarotti's modest beginnings, how opera star Joan Sutherland helped to bring his talent to the world and how he became "the most famous opera singer of our time."

I love his quote on the opening page of his official Web site:
"I think a life spent in music is a life beautifully spent and that is what I devoted my life to."

On the NPR Web site you can hear audio clips of his gorgeous tenor voice and see video of his performances. A few minutes ago I listened to "O Sole Mio." Have you ever noticed that people sing "O Sole Mio."when they are pretending to be singing opera. I remember for example, hearing it in cartoons I watched as a kid. I have this partial lyric rattling around in my head. It goes something like "O, Sole Mio, We are not mice. We're singing chipmunks..." Don't remember the rest, though it was something that rhymed with mice. For those of you old enough to remember, that had to have been Alvin and the Chipmunks? Anyone? Leave me a comment if you think of it.

And by the way, did you know "O Sole Mio" means "My Sun" in Italian? Here is the Wikipedia background on the song. When Pavarotti sang "O Sole Mio" he sang with the shadings of a great tenor. I wouldn't say I am a huge fan of opera, but when I was a kid growing up, Pavarotti was opera to me. I liked the fact that when he dropped in on a TV show, suddenly they seemed a bit classier, like a lady in a sweat suit sporting a tiara on her head. For me, and I suspect a lot of other people, his charisma and charm made opera seem a bit more accessible, not so distant.And I loved the fact that he was not above spoofing his image from time to time. He will be missed.

Last Saturday, a musical void of another kind was acknowledged during a college football game. September 1 was the first game of the season for Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Tech played East Carolina and that day The Washington Post had a nice profile of Ryan "Stack" Clark, the band member who died during the shootings at Tech last April. You may remember my earlier blog entry about him. Last Saturday before the game, balloons were released in memory of the 32 students. Clark was a member of Tech's Marching Virginians. In a story published on September 1, 2007 Post staff writer Adam Kilgore wrote:

The Marching Virginians are still healing, but they are also healers. Saturday, the Hokies' football team opens its season against East Carolina, the game Virginia Tech fans and those on campus have anticipated for months to provide a respite from their mourning. There will be tears, hugs, smiles, screams and more tears. The Marching Virginians, with nimble feet, heavy hearts and patches that read, "In memory of Ryan 'Stack' Clark," will provide the soundtrack.

Music and football. For me, always linked. Probably because I played clarinet in marching band in high school. Of course, pro football starts this weekend too. I grew up in Kansas City, Mo., and since childhood I have been a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. This summer I was thrilled beyond belief to find the HBO series, Hard Knocks, five weeks of watching my Chiefs prepare for the upcoming season. (Ok, so they lost all their pre-season games. Pre-season doesn't count people). And they worked really, really hard up in River Falls, Wisconsin, where the Chiefs truck their entire operation for several weeks.

The final episode last night showed how tough it is for the team to get down to the 53-man roster, tough on the players, tough on the coaches. Pro football is a business after all and you have to have a thick skin.

Over the past month I watched young players trying to make the team for the first time, old guys (in their 30's) trying to hold on. Training camp is a month of sweltering heat, coaches yelling at you to try harder when you are exhausted, a month of doing the same drills over and over until you can do them in your sleep. It's a bed in a college dorm room that is too small for your football player-sized frame. It's constantly asking yourself "Am I good enough. Will someone else take my job?"

How then, do you wind down from the stress? How do you keep your sanity? Well, if you are right tackle Kyle Turley, you head to the Brickhouse Music Store in downtown River Falls.

Turley, who plays guitar, rented guitars, a drum set, microphones and other equipment for himself and several of his fellow players, who held impromptu jam sessions to wind down before bed check. And for Turley it worked. He will start at right tackle when the Chief take on the Houston Texans on Sunday. Most of the other Chief musicians made the team made the cut, too, so I suspect some additional jam sessions this fall. Not that I will see them. Now that the season is starting, my vicarious trips to the locker rooms are over.

Still, I believe, music and football go together and when I see Turley and some of his defensive pals on the field I will remember how much fun those Chiefs had playing.

Here at MENC, I am beginning work on the November issue of Music Educators Journal news, but first I need to finish the online version of October Teaching Music. Look for that later in September around the time the print version of the magazine appears.

Hope the school year is going well for you. I'd love to hear how your marching band season is faring. Drop me a comment if you get a chance.

Til Next Thursday

RF

Midweek Meanderings and Miscellany XXV: Truly Miscellaneous!

It's September and the Labor Day weekend was SO beautiful, it certainly was hard to come back to work. Two colleagues are on vacation this week, and what a perfect week to be away! The crowds are gone and the weather is still summer like.

Some good news, something MENC has been pushing for -

From January 28 through March 7, 2008, selected eighth-graders across the nation will be assessed in the arts, specifically in music or visual arts. This is a follow up of the previous NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) arts assessment which was conducted a decade ago.

For more info about NAEP, see the new home page, and the ARTS REPORT CARD page for more about the 1997 assessment in the arts.

The full participation of all the selected schools and students is crucial to the success of this important assessment. Read about why NAEP is important.

As things are pretty status quo in my neck of the woods of MENC, I'll just leave you with some interesting articles to peruse, BELOW!. Hope to have more adventures to tell in coming weeks!

Happy first week of school!
See you next week - SR

CLICK to read:
Controversy over WHO PAYS for radio music

Teachers gain in prestige, rank in top 5, says new Harris poll

RADIUS: chamber music in a "casual and welcoming environment with coffee and cookies after!"

Cello, the "Sexiest" instrument

Street children of Venezuela, "El Sistema" orchestra - playing at the British Proms, and transfer method to Scotland?

Brain on Music/Ear Wigs (why do songs stay in your head?)

Tuesday Off!

I'm extending the Labor Day weekend by taking a few days off this week. Walks, US Open tennis, and practicing guitar are all on the agenda, as is checking in with my MENC colleagues a few times a day! It's just a really busy time of year and hard to get completely away from the office.

We had so many meetings last week that I didn't find a minute to blog. The meetings involved what we're going to be doing to improve the MENC Web site over the next year, some departmental changes at MENC, and much more -- including the monthly social, which it was my department's pleasure to host on August 30. (See fellow blogger RF's post last week for a look at what we ate.) At the social, we heard about our colleague EH's trip this week to the Mrs. America pageant, where he will be talking to all the contestants about music education, which is the official platform of the Mrs. America pageant in the coming year. All the contestants will be making music education advocacy part of their public appearances in their states.

I've also been spending some time online checking out some new and old music. This got me thinking of an old list I used to keep: the best fade-outs/endings of songs and the best beginnings. So I thought I'd try to recreate that here.

Favorite Fade-Outs or Endings:
Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie (featuring Thomas Dolby on synthesizer)
With or Without You - U2
One Door Opens - Richard Thompson
Burning Down the House - Talking Heads
Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush

Favorite Song Beginnings:
Pride (in the Name of Love) - U2
Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen
Under My Thumb - Rolling Stones
Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
Friday I'm in Love - the Cure

Well, that's actually all I can think of at the moment and I must run. If my mind returns to this topic later in the week, I'll update the list.

Onward -- EWL