Thursday Interlude: Picture This

Hey, Happy Thursday

The photo above is me on Grand Finale day, a shot taken by BS. I like it because it makes me look like a real photojournalist. which I am not. I will explain the other photos in a moment.


This week was really busy for me as I worked to finish the online news for August Teaching Music and a special Web news edition of the National Anthem Project Grand Finale. With both of those projects in the capable hands of the Web guys, I am now working on news from September Music Educators Journal. Lots of news to pass along to you in the September issue, which is scheduled to go into the mail in mid-August.

I have stories on the MENC Centennial Congress held in late June in Orlando, Fla. Click here to read MENC 's Centennial declaration. I will also include stories on MENC's new Concerto Contest in which a talented high school musician will be chosen to play with "The President's Own United States Marine Band" at the MENC Biennial Conference in April 2008 in Milwaukee. Other stories include National Anthem Day on September 14, the birthday of "The Star-Spangled Banner." You can make plans to celebrate that day The four pages are jam-packed. I know, I know. School is still out, but hey, I am just trying to give you a heads-up. Feel free to continue what you are doing.

Have the summer doldrums set in where you are? Actually, the weather here is pretty nice here in Reston today. My son Matt is doing a teen camp this with several buddies and as I write this he is at King's Dominion, an amusement park near Richmond, Va. I am so glad they have a warm but not hot and sticky day.Though, actually, he plans to do the water park, too, so he probably doesn't care. I am just being a mom.

But right now I need to go back to being an editor because I have an issue calling my name.I leave you with a couple of my favorite photos of recent weeks.

I spent quite a bit of time looking through photos over the past few weeks. Photos of the centennial celebrations in Keokuk, Iowa, and Orlando, photos from the National Anthem Project Grand Finale, lots and lots of other photos. Some of them I had taken, while others were taken by BS, MJ and MB on the MENC staff. Others were taken by MENC members. Only a select few end up in magazine or even in the online news so I want to share with you a few that I liked but didn't have room for.

BS captured this cute kid on the Washington Monument grounds on National Anthem Project Grand Finale Day. Someday the folks will say "Hey you were there!"



I like this shot, taken by James T. McRaney, past president of the History SRIG, which planned Keokuk II. He took some of the photos you will see in August Teaching Music. It should land in your mailbox sometime in the next week or so. It is a photo of Immediate Past MENC President David Circle in profile.




I took this photo on Saturday June 16 at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. TNAP participants were rehearsing on the field for the opening ceremony of DCI Salutes America, which also served as the final event for the three-day Grand Finale. I remember what a hot day it was, but the young people on the field listened patiently to instructions and did a great job. But, hey, you know what good kids music kids are, don't you?

Oops. One more photo I meant to add. While waiting for the Grand Finale festivities to begin, BS took the photo below of MB, MENC Deputy Executive Director, picking out a tune on a guitar from the instrument petting zoo.




Til Next Thursday,
RF

Thursday Interlude:The Bands Played On

National Anthem Project Singers and Drum Corp International Ensembles rehearse in Annapolis for the Grand Finale of the Project, "DCI Salutes America" on June 16 in Annapolis, Maryland.

Hi From Hazy, Hot and Humid Reston:


Not that I am complaining or anything. I grew up with the three H's in Kansas City, Missouri, so moving to the DC area a little over 20 years ago, was not a huge shock. Earlier in the week, it was beautiful, warm and sunny with low humidity. I was surprised as how often I was able to drive around without my air conditioning on (Yes, I feel guilty about global warming and am trying to reduce my carbon footprint, a phrase that I admit is relatively new to my vocabulary.)

Then came Tuesday and it was sticky. I am talking sticky—hair drooping, energy-sapping sticky, so I succumbed to the AC. Last night when I picked up my son Matt from baseball practice it was humid and in the low 90’s even at 7 PM. As he walked toward the car, dragging his equipment bag, he looked as if someone had dumped a bucket of water on his head. No such luck I discovered after he stowed his stuff in the back of my mini van and I got a whiff of him as he climbed into the car. He and his teammates are getting ready for their last tournament of the season in late July, so they are drinking lots of fluids and practicing in the early evening when it is (a little) less muggy.

It sounds sticky in Orlando, too, but I am happy things are going well at the Centennial Congress (see EWL's report two posts below). As one holding down the fort in the aforementioned hot and humid Reston, I was able to watch some of the Webcast Tuesday and it was fascinating. (See SR's report below).

I finished the August Teaching Music news pages late last week and as I look at spread of the pages on the wall opposite my desk, I am pleased with the results.

There are so many good photos and good stories about the great teachers and students I met in the past month, on the telephone and in person. If you were one of those fantastic members, thanks for talking to me. I can’t wait to see the printed, color version next month. Let me know what you think. My e-mail is rozf@menc.org.

My work this week includes preparing photos and stories from the National Anthem Project finale in Washington DC June 14–16 for the online version of my news. I will let you know when the updated version has been posted.

Oh, what the heck. I will share a few photos with you now, like the one at top of the page. On June 16, the three days of the National Anthem Project Grand Finale ended with a collaboration between MENC and Drum Corps International at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. It is where the Mid-Shipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy play football and lacrosse, though not at same time.


I had never visited the beautiful, historical stadium, so that alone was really fun. MENC presented the National Anthem Project Road Show, complete with “Star-Spangled Banner” karaoke and the National Anthem Stage where singers won a medal for belting out the national anthem. We had soloists, school groups and whole families earn their medals. There lots of other activities and booths for the groups wandering through.

On that Saturday afternoon I split my time between the Road Show area and the field, where talented members of DCI ensembles played and the National Anthem Project finale attendees rehearsed for the opening ceremony. It was fun watching the rehearsal, which were energetic, but also well-organized. Music kids, you could tell, were great at following directions, even though there were hundreds of them on the field.


After a powerful version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," with the singers and drum ensembles performing together on the field, the young singers in red shirts settled in to the stands for the opening night of the DCI 2007 Summer Music Games Tour. The tour began that night in Annapolis and continues throughout the summer. The singers made a great audience, too, waving their yellow programs and cheering loudly for their favorites throughout the evening.

Over the next few weeks, more than 5,000 young people aged 14 to 22 will perform in stadiums across the United States, as part of a DCI tour that will end August 9 in Pasadena, California, in the Rose Bowl. DCI calls it "Marching Music's Major League."

The DCI ensembles that performed one dynamic routine after another on June 16 were: The Spirit from Jacksonville State University in Alabama; The Glassmen, Toledo, Ohio; The Carolina Crown, Fort Mill, SC; The Cadets, Allentown, PA; The Bluecoats, Canton, Ohio, and the Cavaliers, Rosemont, Ill. I got to take the photos from a deck atop the stadium, which was really cool. I loved watching the patterns the ensembles created and the music sounded great, too. I will have more photos in the aforementioned MENC online news.

In a close race , the Cavaliers, pictured below, won the Annapolis, competition, "DCI Salutes America." MENC President Lynn Brinckmeyer, MENC President-Elect Barbara Geer and MENC Executive Director John J. Mahlmann presented awards to the six ensembles on the field.


For more on the various ensembles, upcoming performances, and other DCI information, visit DCI
Well, that is about it for this week.

Hope your summer is going well, whatever you are doing. Something tells me, somewhere, somehow, music is involved.
Toodles,
RF

My National Anthem Project Finale Experience!

I wasn't sure the Grand Finale of the National Anthem Project would ever really happen. We posted the first Web site for the project in April 2004. The official campaign launch was in March 2005. The Road Show went on throughout 2006. And suddenly, after literally years of meetings and trips and press calls and Web updates, we really were at the Washington Monument on June 14, 2007, with 5000 students from 42 states, all in their campaign T-shirts, all singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with the U.S. Marine Band, Mrs. America, and the Oak Ridge Boys. It was a truly special occasion for music education!

I personally had a terrific time running one of the interactive games for kids with staffer NS, doing a little patriotic karaoke with staffer SM, helping our government relations team (fellow blogger ARN/CW/HS) welcome Members of Congress (this involved waiting on the corner of 15th and Independence til a car stopped and someone important-looking got out), and singing the national anthem along with the crowd (and my sister, who walked over from her downtown DC office to join us).

Thanks to MENC staffmembers BS and (fellow blogger) RF for taking so many fantastic photos. Many more will be posted in the August Teaching Music online news and on the National Anthem Project Web page soon!

Now I must make press calls for next week's Centennial Celebration. (Don't forget to register to join us for the live Webcast on June 26 -- there are still some free connections available for members.) Will blog to you from Orlando next Tuesday! Onward!! -- EWL

P.S. Speaking of press calls, MENC would like to hear from members who have had particular success working with the media to publicize the need for the community to support school music. If you have a story to share (possibly for publication in Teaching Music), please e-mail me at elizabethl@menc.org. Thanks!

Finale Fireworks

I have to say it--The National Anthem Project Finale was spectacular. Really spectacular. Everything came together so perfectly--the kids, the teachers, the weather, the Oak Ridge Boys, the "President's Own" Marine Band, the VIPs, the press, and the Members of Congress.

Articles:
National Anthem Project -- Video of Morning Event
Students sing national anthem at Washington Monument
Singing along to the national song
Hundreds Of Children Commemorate Flag Day
and many more!

The congressional side of things was an adrenaline filled 35 minutes and so I will narrate using a "time line" sequence. But first, let me set the scene.

It was a sunny day that began cloudy with cool and comfortable temperatures. Our heroine, me, decided to bring along a rain coat as the ground was still wet and the clouds had yet to part. Sunscreen was forgotten (my skin saved by HS bringing an extra tube--too bad I missed a spot on my face-now bright red). SKJ was a busy bee flying around as she was one of the event's planners along with EH. HS, new addition to the department, was in charge of the congressional check-in while CW and myself would be escorting the arriving Members of Congress. Senator Larry Craig (ID) was scheduled to speak at the press conference that began at 1:45pm. Representative Dennis Moore (KS) was set to arrive to meet with MENC Past-President David Circle at some point. Representative Jerry Moran was set to arrive to meet with a school group from his district--25 or so kids somewhere in the mass of 5,000 kids--all wearing red shirts.

1:30 pm -- CW calls for update from Craig's office, but unable to reach his contact. A good sign, but contingency plans for teleprompter and Dr. M finalized. All while the Marine Band performs.
1:40 pm -- Craig's office calls and says they are five minutes away. CW and ARN pace nervously and ARN finds back way onto stage for minimal travel time from car.
1:43 pm -- Band finishes two minutes early. Press conference begins! Remainder of MENC staff begin to pace.
1:44 pm -- Craig arrives! CW apologies for rushing the Senator and the kind-hearted Senator says not need to apologize and runs with CW using back path.
1:45 pm -- Craig calmly sits in chair on stage and speaks eloquently a few minutes later. CW and I let out huge sigh of relief. Feet hurt from running in heels.
1:48 pm -- Rep. Dennis Moore arrives escorted by blogger EWL. Introductions are made and quiet jollity ensues as Rep. Moore is an old friend of the project.
1:54 pm -- Rep. Moore slips into VIP seating with David Circle.
1:58 pm -- Oak Ridge Boys come on stage and make brief comments about the project.
2:00 pm -- Thousands of red t-shirt clad students, parents, teacher, and onlookers sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" together.
2:01 pm -- HS brings Rep. Jerry Moran to stage. I jump a stone wall in a skirt suit to find his students before they leave! Thank goodness CW and I had planned ahead so I knew where they were.
2:02 pm -- Sen. Craig gives comments on camera. CW takes him to see Oaks as they are old friends. Find Kansas students for Rep. Moran before they leave and get them to stay. Student steals teacher's cell phone from his pocket without him noticing.
2:03 pm -- Rep. Moran talks with students and takes pictures in front of the monument.
2:05 pm -- CW makes mad dash to Capitol Hill to facilitate meeting between school group and Senate office.

So while it was only 35 minutes...it was intense! I need to watch the video of the event because I missed most of it running around. And I have to include this picture of Sen. Craig on the left because it's just so great.

It doesn't end there! Today, the school groups are doing patriotic music performances at the national monuments. SKJ is escorting Mrs. America, Marney Duckworth, to go see the different groups and has been so kind as to send me a photo. What an amazing experience for all of the students and teachers!

And then tomorrow we have the kids all participating the Drum Corps International competition in Annapolis, Maryland to wrap it all up!

Around the water cooler: Water cooler? Was there a water cooler at the Washington Monument? I must've missed it. A special thank you to ML for my present -- a red, Swingline stapler!!!!

Thursday Interlude: The Grand Finale!

Happy Flag Day Everyone! This post will be a bit brief because as soon as I write this I will leave to go downtown. The Grand Finale of The National Anthem Project is in Washington DC. on the Washington Monument grounds this afternoon. The day started with about 1,000 music students at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland, creating a giant map of the United States with words O, Say Can You See in the middle. Just before I left home I saw the kids on my local ABC-affiliate television station. Breaking news permitting, Good Morning America was expected to carry reports this morning, too.

The big finale this afternoon will be at the monument, though with a concert featuring "The President's Own" United States Marine Corps Band, the Oak Ridge Boys and more than 5,000 student musicians and music educators from all over the United States. We also have some elected officials, MENC leadership and other dignitaries coming. I am very excited to be going and taking pictures. I will have a two page spread of photos and information from the finale today, tomorrow at monuments around D.C. and Saturday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, that I will include in the August issue of Teaching Music.

My week has been nuts, but fun and I wrapped up interviews, wrote stories and laid out the news pages for August and pages, except for the National Anthem Project stuff are out in the building for people to read. I went downtown to a hotel in DC on Monday to interview MENC member Andrea Peterson, the National Teacher of the Year who is a music teacher from Granite Falls, Washington. She is so great, high energy, focused, but also funny. I can see why the kids, parents and other teachers in her district like her so much. Look for a story about her in the August TM, along with a great photo BS took.

Well, gotta go. Hope Flag Day goes well for you, wherever you are. Music Education Rocks!
More later.
RF

Just a brief addendum to yesterday's Grand Finale. The day was fabulous. I met and interviewed so many wonderful music educators, not to mention students and parents who were thrilled to be here and be a part of the celebration. It was a day that made me proud to work for MENC.
Seeing a sea of red National Anthem T-shirts against the backdrop of the Washington Monument was breathtaking.

Look for lots of coverage in the online news soon at and in the August Teaching Music news, which is scheduled to go into the mail in mid-July.
Toodles again,
RF

Thursday Interlude—O Say Can You See

On Tuesday night after watching American Idol (Bye Lakisha. I will always remember "And I Am Tellin' You I'm Not Goin'." You may have a career yet, but go Jordin!) I was flipping through some television channels.
I landed on that 1992 classic, A League of Their Own on the Disney Family Channel. Even though I own the DVD, I stopped to watch for a bit because (1) because I am a huge baseball fan and (2) I love seeing Geena Davis (what a catcher!) I love it when she does the splits while catching the ball, Tom Hanks ( “Are you crying? There is no crying in baseball!”) and Madonna as “All the Way Mae,” (surely not an instance of typecasting) as their younger selves.

Before I saw this movie I never knew there was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during and shortly after World War II. I thought that was pretty cool that women had smashed through such barriers.

When I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, a couple of seasons ago, I made sure to visit the AAGPBL exhibit at the museum.

One of the reasons I stopped to watch Tuesday night is because there is scene where a lady of, shall we say, generous proportions, sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” to rapt crowd. I am such a lady myself and it always makes me chuckle

Anyway, that scene reminded me what a large role the national anthem has played in my life for the past several years. Not long after I began working at MENC the association launched the National Anthem Project, the national project aimed at raising the profile of music educators and the role music teachers play in teaching students about the musical heritage of the United States.

As the MENC news person, I have been lucky to be present at several NAP events—the official launch on Capitol Hill with The Oak Ridge Boys, Girl Scouts, a color guard, MENC officers and members of Congress; the unofficial launch of the NAP Road Show during Army-Navy Game weekend in Philadelphia a couple of years ago; road show stops in Richmond, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

• I’ve taken photos of shiny-faced kids in NAP tee shirts passionately singing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” as their teachers directed them as a well-rehearsed performance. And I've seen them proudly wearing their NAP medallions, the red, white and blue ribbons dangling proudly around their necks.

• I’ve seen little boys race their dads to put the words to the national anthem in the right order on a magnetic scramble board and a group of young singers from a school for the deaf perform “The Star Spangled Banner” in sign language.
  

• I’ve enjoyed watching entire families giggle through a karaoke version of "The Star Spangled Banner" and then say "Can we do it again? "
• 
  
• I've seen teachers deftly handle television interviews that put a well-deserved on spotlight on their music programs.
  

As an editor, in Teaching Music and Music Educators Journal I have laid out pages with photos of teenage boys playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on electric guitars, little girls and boys in an instrument zoo and happily banging on a variety of percussion instruments.

The Road Show reached a lot of people as it crossed the United States and many music teachers have told us that their music programs have become more visible as a result.
The project will end with a Grand Finale June 14 (Flag Day) to 16 in Washington DC and in Annapolis, Maryland.

I just came from a National Anthem Project Committee meeting where a group of us discussed the Grand Finale (visit The National Anthem Project Web site for the grand finale news). It will be a grand event indeed with students and teachers from 39 different states traveling to Washington to sing in concert at the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument grounds. the President's Own United States Marine Band along with The Oak Ridge Boys .


Hey, if you happen to be in DC next month join us. Or plan a trip. DC is beautiful in early summer. We'd love to see you.

And I will see you next Thursday.Toodles
RF