MMEA 2012 Midwinter In-Service Clinic
Orchestra, Technology, Advocacy, Assessment, and General Sessions

as of February 6, 2012

Begin planning your professional development days with this list of sessions! Updates will be made as needed, and a final version with locations will be posted in February. This list does not include performances. Note to orchestra teachers: If you would like hints on specific wind or brass sections/instruments, be sure to check out the Band track also!

Thursday Morning Pre-Conference, February 16

Real-World Advocacy: An Interactive Workshop
Bob Ouren, Scott Shuler, Pete Olsen, Mary Cecconi, Kristin Tjornehoj, Nancy Miller Townes
9:00 AM
Feeling frustrated with continued talk of cuts to your program and not sure what to do? This workshop gives you what you need to take back to your school, district, and community to engage decision makers and parents. Hear all the perspectives from a panel that includes a principal, parent, lobbyist, organizer, former school board member, music educator and the current NAfME (formerly MENC) president. Each of these panelists brings a passion for music education along with their expertise. Following the panelists presentation, go in to small groups to discuss the challenges and successes in local music education advocacy, and wrap up the morning by learning how to make the "asks and presentations" through a thought-provoking, hands-on role play exercise. Information will be applicable to schools big and small, rural and urban, public and private. Presenter biographies and more detailed descriptions of the sessions can be found on the Midwinter Clinic website at mmea.org/winterclinic.htm. Come learn how to involve others in supporting music education in schools!

Methods not Mouse Clicks: Strategies for Teaching Music Technology
J. Anthony Allen
2:00 PM
A prominent challenge in teaching technology is staying current as technology evolves. Equally, teaching the art of music is challenging. This session demonstrates ways to complement teaching specific music technology tools by also teaching the art of music technology. In this session, teachers will gain strategies to incorporate music technology/software (notation, recording) into their classrooms without monopolizing their prep time.

Rhythm - EVERYONE can read and become proficient!
Kevin Fuhrman
2:00 PM
This session will delve into the process of learning Rhythm from a different perspective that has proven effective in having students understand and be able to perform music. The process is used in a number of schools as a way for students to be able to synthesize rhythms on their own and be able to accurately practice their own parts without having to “hear it first.” Kevin Fuhrman is a professional percussionist/teacher/composer/author that delivers a no-nonsense approach to understand our notation system that cuts the learning curve by 50% to 90%! This will be hands on and include a demonstration on the power of this approach. Experience seeing the “light bulb” go on for those going through the idea for the first time!

Teaching the big three in class: Sound, Rhythm, Pitch
Jerry Henry
2:00 PM
For an orchestra to sound good they must play with a good sound, play in rhythm, and play in tune. Learn some of the unexpected reasons why students haven't mastered these skills. Learn about and discuss a number of rehearsal techniques to improve student skills in all three critical areas.

Positive Change Through 8 Liberating Habits
Scott Shuler
2:00 PM
In this session specially designed for collegiate members but useful for any teacher facing a new teaching setting, NAfME (formerly MENC) National President Scott Shuler elicits reflection and provides a bit of inspiration through provocative questions and ideas based on his career of teaching and leadership, which has spanned Grades 3– Postgraduate, seven states, and almost every specialty area of music education.

Perform-Connect-Reflect: Three Keys to Maximizing Student Performance
Wendy Barden
3:15 PM
Wondering how to take your ensemble's performance to a higher level? Examine three small but significant practices that can make the difference!

Essential Technology Tools for Music Educators: Capitalizing on What Students Already Know
Michael Buck
3:15 PM
Technology is virtually inescapable in contemporary society. Explore the potential benefits and limitations of using technology in the music classroom or rehearsal. Referencing ISTE standards, the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts and researched-based best practices, this session will provide an overview of a variety of music technology instructional tools and software.

Assessing the 21st Century Secondary School Musician
Rich Cangro
3:15 PM
In a data-driven 21st century education, teachers need to have a valid and reliable means for measuring and reporting student achievement. This practical, hands-on session will examine different types of measurement tools used for performance-based assessments. Collecting data on authentic student music achievement and using the data for determining grades will also be discussed. Participants will design and learn to develop assessment instruments for use in their own programs.

Rural and Urban Round Table NEW Description
Keitha Hamann Michael Scott
3:15 PM
Participants are invited to bring and share their ideas and "best practices" related to assessing, evaluating, and grading student achievement and participation. The goal of the session is to give our students better feedback for their efforts and to make us more effective teachers in the process. Modify these tools for your school, and consider using the data as part of the justification for your program in an era of budget deficits and staff reductions.

Using Finale in Music Education
Mavis Kallestad
3:15 PM
A practical demonstration of how to use Finale for Music Education, this clinic is designed to assist music educators in creating the materials they need in their music programs. Attendees will learn how to get the best results when scanning in music, creating tests and worksheets quickly, custom exercises, SmartMusic accompaniments and more.

Building a Strong Music Program through Combined Band/Choir/Orchestra Performances
David Livermore, Barry Zumwalde, Travis Sletta
3:15 PM
Major Works, Lasting Memories, Strength in Numbers. Forest Lake music teachers will present information and strategies used in the transformation of the music program from three separate disciplines into one cohesive department. With only a few adjustments, rigor and quality can be preserved while giving audiences and music students awesome experiences. The Forest Lake Band, Choir and Orchestra will also demonstrate some of the works that are possible with the music program. Copyright issues and administrative support will also be addressed.

Text-Reading Strategies: Practical, Positive Application in Secondary Ensembles
Wendy Barden
4:30 PM
Decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Understand - and capitalize on - these text-reading strategies to improve music literacy and performance in secondary bands, choirs, and orchestras. (Designed to meet reading requirement for relicensure.)

Gestures for Entrance and Changes
Courtney Lewis, Associate Conductor, Minnesota Orchestra
4:30 PM
This session is designed especially for instrumental conductors, but all conference attendees with an interest in conducting are welcome to attend. Courtney Lewis will demonstrate and provide guidance to attendees on conducting techniques including clarity of gesture and expressing musical intent. A student string ensemble from Edina High School will participate as the demonstration ensemble. Scores will be available at the Minnesota Orchestra booth in the exhibit hall prior to the session, or at the session itself.

Beyond Performance and Teaching: Careers in the Business of Music
Rich Meiten, Scott LeGere
4:30 PM
Do you ever talk with your students about choosing careers in music, or choosing college music programs? Do students ever ask you whether there are alternatives to becoming a performer or a music teacher? If so, this session is for you. You will learn about the many careers in music that support the recording, concert, television, and film industries, and how students can train successfully for them in college.

Can Assessment Help Music Education Survive and Thrive in a Data-Driven World?
Scott Shuler
4:30 PM
What's the big deal about assessment? Is the time required justified by improved teaching, learning, and/or advocacy for music classes? Drawing on years of working with teachers on classroom, district, and national (NAEP) assessments, NAfME (formerly MENC) National President Scott Shuler talks about how we can play the assessment game so that our students come out winners.

Basic Counseling Skills For Music Educators: Empowering Students To Make Rational Decisions
Michael Silverman
4:30 PM
This session will provide music educators with basic listening skills and simple techniques to better help students with and without special needs solve their problems and conflicts. Participants will learn when and where to seek professional help for student problems, how to incorporate behavioral analysis and problem solving skills, and techniques for empowering students to make rational and thoughtful decisions.

Creating and Utilizing Online Digital Learning Packages
Heidi Stodola, Tyrone Schmidt
4:30 PM
Learn about the components of a high quality online digital learning package, various resources for creating and publishing these digital lessons, and explore some of the tools available for use in creation of lessons. Presenters will discuss how technology can engage your students while acknowledging obstacles to using digital lesson packages in the music classroom and large ensemble settings. Session is useful for all grade levels and types of music classes.

Meeting Students Where They're At: Using Hip-Hop to Teach the National Standards
Robert Vagi
4:30 PM
In an increasingly diverse society, engaging students can be a challenge for even the most skilled educators. One possible solution to the challenge of making music instruction relevant to students' lives is the inclusion of popular music in school curricula. However, many teachers who realize the potential benefits of using popular music often don't know where to begin. This session will provide teachers with resources, ideas, and activities for using hip-hop to teach the National Standards. Topics will include history, culture, composition, instrumental performance, analysis, and evaluation. Examples of student work will be shown and handouts will be provided. Teachers from all grade levels are welcome to attend regardless of their level of experience with hip-hop.

Friday Morning, February 17

Orchestra Open Forum
Mary Gagnon
8:00 AM
Join Mary Gagnon, MMEA Orchestra Vice President, for this meeting that will focus on issues central to string education in Minnesota.

A Poster Session Featuring Minnesota Music Educators' Research
Keitha Hamann

Brain-on Ensemble Playing in the 21st Century: No Need for a Transfusion!
Rich Cangro
9:15 AM
What do we admire about great musicians? Do the skills we value in professional musicians match the skills and concepts we develop in our curriculum? Students performing with their brains on command a music education that fosters authentic learning. Profound musicianship through active, authentic music learning is the key to any effective ensemble program at the secondary level. This session will explore the ingredients of a “good” musician and provide instructional strategies and activities for developing a foundation of musicianship that lasts beyond graduation.

Five Amazingly Fast and Simple Lessons to Teach Our Musical System
Jerry Henry
9:15 AM
When time is short we often take shortcuts, teaching disconnected pieces of information to get students going. Some students never make the connections. Use these 5 ten-minute lessons to teach students how our system works and connects so they can figure out how to learn for themselves. You won't believe how fast and simple these lessons are, and the difference they can make in student understanding, learning, and progress. Come learn about the five lessons including pitch reading, etc.

Connecting Standards, Repertoire and Curriculum: The Impact of Repertoire Selection
Douglas Orzolek
9:15 AM
This session will offer suggestions on how to link state and national standards and established curricula with the music that we select to perform with our ensembles.

Harmony Across The District: Building A Better Music Department
Kinh T. Vu
9:15 AM
School music departments often operate in fragmented ways. The general music, choir, band, and orchestra programs function separately within buildings and throughout a district's many schools. Students, as a result, miss out on musical and academic opportunities stemming from a lack of intentional planning on the part of adult leaders. Music educators, parents, community members, and administrators that strive to work in collegial ways will benefit learners by establishing common goals and high expectations. During this workshop, I will focus attention on strategies that encourage positive and productive music department cultures. Participants should bring their ideas for sharing.

Reggae Sprinkled Twinkle: World Music in School Instrumental Music Programs
Louis Bergonzi
10:30 AM
How is an orchestra a world music ensemble? What happens when music from non-western cultures is brought into instrumental lessons and rehearsals? How can I be a good steward of music from another culture? How will I know if I am or not?

Innovations in Distance Education at the International Music Camp
Timothy Wollenzien, Michelle Kiec
10:30 AM
The University Preparatory Program at International Music Camp prepares students for collegiate level music study through three weeks of intensive instruction in music theory, music history, and aural skills. Using an innovative instruction design, the curriculum was taught entirely in a distance learning module last summer, with instruction provided exclusively through video conferencing and instant messaging. Campers also participated in instrumental and vocal ensembles, and took private lessons as part of the program.

Music Education for Life in the 21st Century: Vision and Challenges
Scott Shuler
11:45 AM
Today's students are growing up in a world far different from what most current teachers experienced. Dinosaurs just roll over in the tar pit, but educators evolve. NAfME (formerly MENC) National President Scott Shuler will challenge participants in this session to consider how we can use the 3 artistic processes – creating, performing, and responding – and forward-thinking secondary electives to empower our students to become motivated, independent musicians who are ready for the 21st century.

Friday Afternoon, February 17

Resource Fair: Classes to Engage the Other 80%
Nyssa Brown, facilitator
1:15 PM - 4:15 PM
What high school or middle school courses might you offer to engage students not involved in band, choir, or orchestra - the other 80% of your student body? Visit the resource fair and talk with colleagues who are teaching classes such as Beginning Guitar, Garage Band, Electronic Music Lab, or World Music. Learn the who, what, when, where, and how behind their courses and start thinking about offering one or more at your school.

Mariachi-Minnesota Style
Tim Davis
1:15 PM
Mariachi, in Minnesota? Yes, Mariachi programs are springing up all over the country. Austin Public Schools organized a mariachi ensemble in January of 2010. It has been a popular alternative to the traditional school music groups. This session will show you how it has worked in Austin and hopefully give you the motivation to introduce mariachi to your school district.

Middle Level strings
Julie Guerber Olson
1:15 PM
Description coming soon.

Text-Reading Strategies: Practical, Positive Application in Secondary Ensembles
Wendy Barden
2:30 PM
Decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Understand - and capitalize on - these text-reading strategies to improve music literacy and performance in secondary bands, choirs, and orchestras. (Designed to meet reading requirement for relicensure.)

SmartMusic 2012: New Assessable Sight-Singing & Sight-Reading Capability
Leigh Kallestad
2:30 PM
SmartMusic 2012 now includes new sight-singing methods and warm-ups for the choir program and sight-reading for the band and orchestra programs. When put in the sight-singing/reading mode students are given a time preview of the music and then allowed one take before the results are automatically submitted to the teacher's online grade book. Assessable sight-singing/reading assignments can be created in minutes for your students to practice at home or school.

Arts Integration: Does it Work?
Zane Schaefer, Kathy Grundei
2:30 PM
The Perpich Center for Arts Education has been working to develop K-12 models of arts integration with nine school sites in West Central Minnesota. Zane Schaefer and Kathy Grundei have been working with teachers from those schools to develop standards-based arts integration. This session will present information about what is being learned and what steps you may consider if you are interested in exploring the benefits of arts integration in your school.

Advocacy Required
Kristin Tjornehoj
2:30 PM
Advocacy is communication. Communication is critical to success in any relationship, group or situation. This session brings together ideas that can help you present your successes (music ensembles, classroom events, individual instruction, and more) in a way that can generate support, knowledge and awareness to a wide variety of constituents. Now is the time to get organized and act in a proactive manner as you share knowledge of the myriad of strengths and activities music education provides.

Tips for All-State String Auditions
Jim Hainlen, J. Rudy Perrault, and Michael Watson
3:45 PM
This session will help teachers prepare their string students for All-State auditions. The audition processes is lengthy in preparation time for the student and the teacher but short in actual duration before the judge. The student must demonstrate their proficiencies in 10 minutes in a way that convinces the judge that the student will be successful in All-State orchestra. Jim Hainlen has been an All-State Judge since retiring from Stillwater Public Schools in 2004 and will both share insights and answer questions about the process.

Sibelius 7 + Avid Scorch for iPad – Creating new opportunities in the music classroom
A. Eric Heukeshoven
3:45 PM
The combination of Sibelius 7 and Avid Scorch for the iPad brings a wealth of new possibilities for music educators. A. Eric Heukeshoven will present an overview of several new and exciting features of Sibelius 7 including the completely redesigned task-oriented user interface, new sound library, text and typography enhancements. The session will also include a demonstration of how files created in Sibelius 7 can instantly be put to use in music classrooms in a variety of new and exciting ways via Avid Scorch for iPad.

Saturday Morning, February 18

MSHSL Contest Management
Carl Lipke, Lane Powell
8:00 AM
Join us with your questions regarding Large Group and Solo/Ensemble Contest. This session is intended to be an especially helpful and important session for all MSHSL music contest managers.

MSHSL Open Forum
Carl Lipke, Lane Powell
9:30 AM
This session will focus on items and issues generated by the music advisory committee and the session attendees. This is your opportunity to share your ideas, comments, and concerns about the direction and policies regarding MSHSL music activities. Items may include changes for MSHSL policies, contest issues, pep band issues, adjudication issues, literature issues, or development of state level music showcases.

Want to register for the Midwinter Clinic?
Download a registration form, or register online if you are paying by credit card.

Looking for other tracks or the full list of sessions?
Go to the Midwinter Clinic home page.