Texas Sings! Vol 25 No 1 Fall 2009

Dianna JarvisMiddle School/Junior High

NON-PROFITU.S. Postage Paid

Austin, TexasPermit No. 789

TTEEXAS SSINGS!!VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF TEXAS CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION FALL 2009

2009-2010 TCDA OFFICERS

Amy AllibonPresident

Bob HortonPast President

John SilantienCollege/Community

Sharon PaulHigh School

Karen GonzalezElementary

Thomas CokerChurch

Kay OwensSecretary/Treasurer

Dan WoodExecutive Director

2009 Fall v.7: 2005 Spring Texas Sings! FINAL 9/29/09 3:02 PM

Fall 2009 TEXAS√SINGS! 3

TEXAS SINGS!

OFFICERS

Volume 26 Number 1 Fall 2009

PRESIDENTAmy Allibon, Fort Worth

PAST PRESIDENTBob Horton, The Woodlands

COLLEGE/COMMUNITYVICE PRESIDENTDr John Silantien, San Antonio

HIGH SCHOOL VICE PRESIDENTSharon Paul, Houston

MIDDLE SCHOOL/JUNIOR HIGHVICE PRESIDENTDianna Jarvis, San Antonio

ELEMENTARY VICE PRESIDENTKaren Gonzalez, Garland

CHURCH VICE PRESIDENTThomas Coker, Houston

SECRETARY/TREASURERKay Owens, Arlington

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDan L Wood, Austin

EDITORDan L Wood

ART DIRECTORJames A Black, Coppell

PUBLISHERGood/Wood AssociatesPO Box 6472Austin, Texas 78762

President’s Page 454th Convention – Wow!by Amy Allibon

Suggestions and Reflections 6by Dan Wood

Discipline in the Classroom 17by Glen T Miller

Officer Comments 19

Official Publication of theTexas Choral Directors Association

7900 Centre Park Drive, Suite AAustin, TX 78754

512/474-2801

Copyright 2009 by Texas Choral Directors Association. No part of this publication may

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

affiliate of ACDA

TEXAS SINGS!TEXAS SINGS!TABLE OF CONTENTS

On the Cover:The 2009–2010 TCDA Board of Directors

The TCDA Board includes newly electedmembers Sharon Paul, High School DivisionVP; Dianna Jarvis, Middle School/Junior High Division VP; and Kay Owens,Secretary/Treasurer.

Continuing in office are Amy Allibon takingthe reins as President, Bob Horton assumingthe office of Past President, Dr John Silantiencontinuing as College/Community VP, KarenGonzalez as Elementary Division VP, ThomasCoker as Church Division VP, and Dan Woodas Executive Director.

TCDA Members On-Line — TexasSings.orgThe TCDA Member Database is password protected. We hope this is not

inconvenient, but rather, serves to protect member privacy. Entry is verysimple for members. When you click on “Member Database”, you will be asked

for a username and password. Enter tcda and 2008 and you’re in!


4 TEXAS√SINGS! Fall 2009

We say goodbye to Board memberswho have finished their termsand begin training the newly

elected who fill those positions at theBoard meeting that immediately followsthe Convention. The comparisons ofthe tears of the outgoing members andthe stark glaze of the freshmen membersis a noticeable contrast. Serving on theTCDA Board is a unique experience ofservice, fellowship, and typically, a littleweight gain. It’s an experience that Iwould encourage you to consider if youhave a servant’s heart and a secret glee atpreviewing new music publicationsbefore your colleagues. To the outgoingBoard members, a mere thank youseems inadequate for your years ofservice and dedication to TCDA.Janwin Overstreet-Goode, your quickthinking, calm spirit, and perennialfocus helped our Board run smoothly,and focused the efforts of the Conven-tion registration in an efficient manner.Kathy Lollar, congratulations to you ona great Convention and, in particular, asuccessful Middle School Honor Choir.The combined efforts of conductor JudyBowers, your selfless section leaders,gifted accompanist, and you, inspired200 middle school students to have awonderful musical experience. BillyTalley, I am not sure if I am going toadjust to your absence in Board meet-ings. While you are a man of few words,the ones you speak wrapped in thatHank Hillesque drawl made everythingfunny, even if it was not supposed to be.Who else but you could have takenTCDA’s Got Talent and made it such ahit? Without strong Vice Presidents,TCDA would flounder. Their hours ofdedication, from reading 2,000-pluspieces of music for the new musicreading sessions to planning informativeand inspiring workshops, is why theTCDA Convention has the nationalreputation it does.

I give my thanks to Past PresidentBob Horton for leading the past twoyears and making some difficultdecisions that have kept TCDA thriving.Thanks in advance, Bob, for answeringall my questions over the next two years,and for continuing to help guide TCDAin the roll of Past President. I know Iwill turn to you endlessly for guidance.And to my big brother, Danny Detrick,who leaves the Board after serving fiveyears on the presidential track added totwo years as a Vice President in 1999-2001, I say that you have inspired me tobe the best I can be as the new TCDAPresident. Your attention to detail,focused and friendly manner in meet-ings, and ability to see all sides of asituation have inspired me and so manyothers tremendously. It has been acomplete joy to serve with you on theBoard.

My efforts on the TCDA Board wereblessed by an incredible team of VicePresidents who are returning for anotheryear of service. Karen Gonzalez,Elementary Vice President, provided atremendous variety of workshops andreceived terrific feedback from hercolleagues for her efforts. She is such anoverachiever that she has many of the

plans for next summer’s ElementaryHonor Choir and Commissioned Workpractically finished. Watching ThomasCoker, Church Vice President, put theHallelujah! Amen! Worship Servicetogether was joyful. An inspired anddedicated servant, Thomas also broughtmuch needed handbell workshops backto the Church Division. John Silantien,College and Community Vice President,also succeeded in providing thought-provoking sessions for his division inaddition to corralling 18 college studentsfrom all over the state for their debutconducting experience. Perhaps hisgreatest coup was working with AllianceMusic Publications in getting WestonNoble to TCDA to chat with us and workwith the Arlington Master Chorale.Weston gave us inspiration to take intoour own choir rooms and rehearsals.

So many moments of the 54thConvention propelled me into a freshstart at school. In only three shorthours of rehearsal, Z Randall Stroopetook 130 choral directors and shapedthem into a cohesive ensemble singingchallenging music. Just in case youdidn’t write down some of his betterrehearsal quips . . . “I’m getting used tothe way you’re singing that – I don’t likeit, but I’m getting used to it.” “Sopranos,don’t be so in love with your own voicesthat you’re useless to society.” Stroope isno stranger to us in Texas, yet we learnsomething new every time he is here. Iwas moved by the Arlington MasterChorale’s performance because they area testament to volunteers dedicatingtime to choral music and excellence.Their closing number rings in my ears . . .“it takes a whole village to raise onechild . . . ” I envision Greg Haugenwailing away on the solo, and the choirtapping the heartbeat of the music. Iam reminded, as I step into the role ofPresident of TCDA, that it takes a wholevillage to make TCDA what it is and

byTCDA PresidentAmy Allibon

54th Convention – Wow!

President Amy Allibon

President’s Page



what it will become in the future. TheConvention would not be possiblewithout the hard work of ExecutiveDirector Dan Wood and his assistant,Jeanne Kuhn Lowenhaupt. It is mind-boggling what they accomplish betweenConventions, and I have come toappreciate their role so much moreduring this past year on the Board. Ireally appreciate and thank Barry Talleyfor hosting our annual golf tournament,and Stan McGill for getting the corpo-

rate sponsorship for the tournamentthat enriches the TCDA scholarshipfund. I know many of our membersenjoy this event, and how many benefitfrom our scholarship awards. My finalthanks is to all of the volunteers whoserve on various committees through-out the year. You are definitely part ofthe village that raises the TCDA child.

The fall semester is well underway –routines are established and the honey-moon is over. By now your choristers

have shown their true colors – attentiveor talkative, faithful or habitually absent,positive or negative. We take all of thisand somehow join the forces in onecommon goal, music. Remember that ittakes a whole village to make yourchoral program the best it can be. Callupon willing parents, supportive facultyor congregants, administration, and thecommunity to give you the help youneed. Great things can happen whenthe village is involved. √



It’s that time again for examiningsuggestions from the ConventionSuggestion Boxes and recommenda-

tions from the Ways & Means Commit-tee. After writing this column for morethan 25 years, it’s pretty difficult to beoriginal. Some suggestions appear everyyear; basically there is little we can doabout these. Happily, we are able to

address many of your suggestions andthey don’t show up in the boxes the nextyear, so much. Your thoughts and ideastruly are an important part of theBoard’s planning of future TCDAConventions. If you experience aproblem, or a less-than-optimal situa-tion, do let us know. We want TCDAConventions to be perfect. Right, they

won’t be, but we really, really try. These questions and suggestions are

in no particular order; I’m just pickingsome of my favorites and some of themost frequently asked or suggested.Okay, and a few just interesting ones . . .

Comment: Thank you for a greatConvention — again!

Suggestions and Reflectionsby Dan L Wood



Comment: Wonderful sessions!Wonderful exhibits!

Comment: Awesome Convention! Iloved every minute of it!

Comment: Kudos to the division VPsfor their hard work selecting music forthe reading sessions. Honor Choir wasgreat — loved Judy Bowers.

Response: Of course I use thesecomments first! Who wouldn’t? Therewere many, many more very complimen-tary comments. Both compliments andhelpful criticisms are a very importanttool as your Board plans future Conven-tions. All are welcome!

Comment: Thanks for another greatConvention. TCDA’s Got Talent was a bighit. I laughed so hard I nearly fell out ofmy chair!

Comment: Pleasantly surprised byTCDA’s Got Talent. I enjoyed the actsmore than the “professional” acts we’vehad recently. Did miss the food. Talleyand crew did a great job!

Comment: Back to BBQ!Comment: Keep the talent show even

if we go back to the BBQ!Comment: TCDA’s Got Talent! was

great fun, but too long! Especiallywithout food.

Response: Thanks! And thanks, HSVP Billy Talley, for great planning andthe great job as emcee. By way ofexplanation, we were unable to reserveLa Villita Assembly Hall for the BBQthis year. We are dealing with this inevery way we can for the future, but theHall is a very popular (read, “inexpen-sive”) San Antonio venue, and we justgot caught in a pinch. This facility alsoallows us to use the caterer of our choicewhile other nearby venues do not. Thisis a huge savings, making it possible tosell tickets for $15 rather than the $35-50 it would take to cover the event



anywhere else. And, yes, this is why yougot bar nuts rather that BBQ at TCDA’sGot Talent! Just as an example, guesshow much two baskets of bar mix foreach table cost TCDA. $500? $750? No,it cost about $2,150.

So at Mr Talley’s suggestion wemounted the talent show. Thanks to allthe acts who volunteered to prepare andenter the show. We had no idea howmany of you to expect, so things like theshortage of chairs had to be dealt withquickly. Is there room for improvement?Sure. If there is repeat, we’ll know betterhow to handle the show. Still, it wasgreat fun and we’re pleased you enjoyedthe show. And thanks, Pepper of

Dallas/Fort Worth, our “BBQ” Sponsor.

Comment: Great Convention; theHonor Choir was fantastic!

Comment: Judy Bowers is fabulous!Bravo Kathy. Loved the literature.

Response: Thanks, MS/JH VP KathyLollar! The time it takes to produce thischoir each year just floors me. I knowyou guys do this kind of thing everyschool year, but so does Kathy (and themany others over the years) and on topof that, plans and mounts the HonorChoir. Easy for me to say it’s worth theeffort, but I think the experience weprovide for 160 – 200 kids each year isjust phenomenal.

Comment: I was disappointed todiscover that Judy Bower’s “ChoralRehearsal Techniques” workshop was justan observation.

Comment: Appreciated that JudyBowers was not talking to the “teachers”but to the students and we were the flyon the wall observing her techniques.

Response: ??? “You can please all thepeople some of the time and some of thepeople all of the time but you can’t pleaseall of the people all of the time.” Thanks,PT Barnum, for allowing my slightlyrevised quotation!

Comment: Great music in everysession I attended.



Comment: Advanced MS/JHTraining Session was good, but the musicis very advanced. None of the groupswould be able to sing it. Not enoughvariety, all slow and sappy.

Response: Always diverse commentsabout music and music selection.

One note about the music that ischosen for reading, if I may. We mustalways remember that as our Boardmembers make their choices, they aretotally limited by the newly published(less that one year old) pieces that areprovided by our participating musicpublishers. Also, publishers sometimeswork in cycles – an emphasis on onekind of music one year, another the next.

And then there are the muses. Com-posers are not always inspired to providegreat pieces across the entire spectrum.Every Board member reads through over2,000 pieces to find the 300 or so we readin sessions.

TCDA is very lucky to have so manyfine publishers who provide music eachyear. They recognize the buying powerof our Convention and participateaccordingly. So please, please provethese publishers are right by shoppingand buying from exhibiting publishersand music retailers! Got a favoritepublisher not participating in ourexhibits? Ask them to join us! Youcould set a personal policy of buying

only from TCDA exhibiting companies— radical thought! Your personalchoice to do so could be a huge help toyour professional organization!

Comment: Great room for theSoiree. Need more drink stations/bar-tenders.

Comment: Hated the long wait atthe Soiree for drinks! Lines were toolong. I know it’s free, but . . .

Response: Keep an eye out next year!We’ll use the same room if it is available.And we’ll try to add a bar or two. Barsand bartenders are a big expense, and soare all those “free” drinks. Rememberhow crowded it was? Multiply that



number of people by $10-12 (TCDA’scost of 2 drink tickets) and the bignumbers will scare you! They do me!

Comment: Need a better way forpacket distribution [in reading sessions].There is a need for people who can’tattend the session to get a packet, butthere need to be enough packets forthose who are attending the session.

Response: Oops! There is not aneed for those not attending the sessionto get a packet. Music packets are onlyfor those members attending the readingsession. The point is to have theaudience watching their scores andsinging along with the reading choir so

they can determine whether each piece issuitable for their group. If “hit andrunners” (also sometimes referred to as“grab and goers”, or drive-bys”) takepackets, there may, indeed, not beenough packets for those attending.Your registration fee does not “guaran-tee” a packet from each session. Publish-ers this year provided over 220,000pieces of music. To provide everyattendee music from all sessions wouldamount to almost 500,000 pieces ofmusic. Please be responsible membersand leave the reading packets for thereaders. Thanks.

Comment: I really dislike not having

the exhibits open on Saturday morning.[Now] I have to place my order for musicon Friday afternoon, missing sessions andbefore the Saturday am reading sessions.

Comment: Kudos: We like theexhibits being open Wednesday after-noon as we register. Your mind andenergy are fresh. There is time to reallylook without the distraction of needingto get to the next session or workshop.We didn’t have the feeling that we missedsomething in the exhibit hall, nor did wefeel rushed. Thanks!

Comment: Our exhibitors are wearyafter being here for TBA and TCDA.

Comment: Like the exhibitors to staya bit longer on Friday since they are not



here Saturday. I do like Wednesdayafternoon in the exhibits (is nice forexhibitors here for TBA and for TCDA).

Response: Well, change is seldomeasy. Ending exhibits on Friday allowsmost exhibitors to get out of town a dayearly and put their heads on their ownpillows, saving $$$ at a hotel. TheSaturday exhibits closure was done toallow our exhibiting companies to “getout of Dodge” one day earlier. This isespecially important for those exhibitorsstaying for TBA and TCDA. Staying openlater Friday would help not accomplishthis goal. A few, driving to nearby cities,could drive home, but those with greatdistances to travel, or those flying would

still have to spend another night in SA.As the years go by and this schedulebecomes the norm, I believe memberswill find it every bit as satisfactory as theold model. I’m sure you will learn tomake great use of the Wednesday hours.

We realize that we were all in thehabit of ordering music on Saturday afterthe last reading session. That was a goodplan, but surely there are alternatives.Most music could already be orderedduring the day Friday. By the way, we aregoing to open exhibits an hour earlier onFriday next year. Also, orders can beplaced online Saturday, Sunday, or anyday the next week, on your laptop on theride home or in the comfort of your

bedroom or office when you get home.

Comment: One exhibitor wasapproaching people in the exhibit aisles,escalators, etc, following and badgering,truly, until you took her flier. Aren’t theysupposed to stay in their areas?

Response: Sorry for this unpleasantexperience. Yes, by contract, exhibitorsare supposed to conduct their businesswithin the confines of their rentedbooth(s). If you see this again, please letme or any Board member know. I amsure this exhibitor did not know orunderstand the rules in this case, and ifshown or reminded, will happily abideby them.



Comment: Bravo, Arlington MasterChorale – wonderful performance. Nicesound/acoustics in Ballroom C.

Response: Many more complimen-tary notes about this performance.Thanks, Randy Jordan and singers,for helping to make this Conventiona great one!

Comment: Directors Chorus wasawesome! What a great way to end theConvention.

Response: President Elect (nowPresident) Amy Allibon gets most of thecredit for this one. She tackled thisproject with her usual flair. We had

several more comments about the chorusand Dr Z Randall Stroope’s participationin the Convention. Great move, Amy.

Comment: This year’s TCDAConvention has been my favoriteconference to date as a college student . . .The diversity of the sessions and theamount of knowledge I gained exceededthat of anything I have experienced. Theperformances were fantastic and theexhibits were excellent. Thank you,TCDA, for providing a conference thatmet the needs of college students and didnot separate or exclude them.

Response: Wow! Thank you. TCDA

Boards over the last several years havemade a concerted effort to offerstudents a viable and exciting experi-ence at our Convention. It’s refreshingto hear that we may be on the righttrack. Please continue to join us everysummer, and encourage your friends tocome along, too!

Comment: How about more Triedand True reading sessions in everydivision?

Comment: Reading sessions aregreat, but we need more Tried &Proven sessions. Especially good fornew teachers.



Response: The Board has a “formula”for reading sessions, workshops, com-missioned works, etc. We trade offreading sessions, workshops, and tried &true sessions between divisions inalternating years – MS/JH gets, say, threereading sessions and five workshops thisyear, only three and three, the next. Triedand proven sessions are a bit tricky.Publishers are quite willing to providereading copies of new music as part oftheir marketing plans. But the old

standard (Tried & Proven candidate) isanother critter altogether. For the mostpart, publishers don’t need to promoteHandel’s Messiah, for example. That theydo provide music for the tried & provensessions is amazing and very muchappreciated. Please thank them everychance you get!

Comment: Perhaps the exhibitscould open at 9:00 rather than 10:00when they are not open on Saturday.

Response: Yes, but our plan is to packas many sessions and workshops aspossible from 8 to 10, then leave the 10o’clock hour for exhibits only. This givesa nice rush into the hall at its opening.Still, we’re going to try it on Friday thisnext year, opening from 9 am till 4 pm.

Comment: Room for Tim Sharp wastoo small. Can I get his notes or outlineonline?

Response: http://www.ensemble.org/



tcda/index.php?p=2009conv. We try toget all the handouts from workshopsonline within a very few days of theConvention’s end.

Comment: Session Rooms werestanding room only. This needs to befixed. It makes no sense to have so manylarger rooms that are empty while cram-ming people into rooms that won’t fit.

Response: Boy, I’m not sure weattended the same Convention. Yes,rooms were crowded, but there are noempty larger rooms. We use Ballroom C,Room 217, and 214. These are the onlylarge rooms available to us, and I thinkyou’ll find that they were in use constant-

ly, or empty for a reason, like resetting foranother session or workshop withdifferent room requirements, in use for arehearsal, or etc. I would challenge youto plan this Convention any fuller ortighter. Aha! However, even as I say this,in 2010 we are planning to repeat someworkshops in some smaller rooms thatare available. This should allow more ofour attendees to catch more of thesegreat workshops.

Comment: Two and three excellentclinicians at the same time — howfrustrating!

Response: We do have many greatclinicians, thanks. We’ve already talked

about doubling some clinics to gaingreater access to these guys.

Comment: We expected bags! Ohno :(!

Comment: Please consider givingtote bags at registration.

Response: Boy, I wish we could dothis every year. Bags have been a luxuryprovided by Pepper and other exhibitors.Times are tough right now. All business-es are having to tighten up. The only way wecould always do this is to raise theregistration fees. I hate to brag (wellsorta hate to brag) about the bang TCDAgives you for your registration buck! Ourmembership fee is almost embarrassingly



low at $30, and ditto for the Conventionregistration fee at $75 or $100 — reallyunbelievably low prices. As an example,dues for the professional association Ibelong to as your association managerare $250 - $450 depending on associationbudget. The annual conference fee is$325 - $475. ACDA dues are $85, and onand on. Think about the value of yourTCDA membership, and maybe bring abackpack next year. As our economyclimbs back up on the horse, I’m sureexhibiting companies will step up withsome of these great freebies again.

Comment: Computers for membersto use the Internet.

Response: Expensive. Go to Pepper’sbooth, though, for Internet access.

Comment: Pay phones, please.Response: Not our job! We have

very little input about building acces-sories. And you can get pay-as-you-gocell phone service for almost the price ofa few pay phone calls.

Comment: Reserve parking inadvance. Long, hot walk from some lots.

Response: ??? I’m at a loss.

Comment: The rising cost of collegeand texts needs to be addressed.

Response: President Obama may be

able to address this, but TCDA?

Comment: Always schedule TCDAduring Cowboys Training Camp!

Response: I’m checking Jerry Jones’iCal now . . .

Comment: Come on, guys, it’ssummer. 8 am sessions?

Comment: Please, not pops musicfirst thing.

Response: Somebody has to be first.And I guess we could start clinics andsessions at 9, knock off from 11-1 forlunch, then close up at 4 for taco time.Then we’d also be saving money by nothaving to pay all those clinicians and



those high-priced headliners. Conven-tion would still be a bargain, but we likepacking it full of great and excitingclinics and reading sessions. And, as wesaid earlier, we’re planning to repeatsome sessions. Think this can help a lot.Let us know what you think afterConvention 2010.

Comment: Offering the HonorChoir experience to our students is, in

my opinion, one of the best aspects ofTCDA. I spoke with one father whosaid his son was in tears after theconcert because he had enjoyed it somuch and was sad to see in end. Wow!Perhaps a future TCDA President hasbeen inspired by this Honor Choirexperience.

Comment: Just when I think I reallyneed more summer, TCDA always getsme excited to teach again. You can’t put a

price on that!Response: What’s to say? I’m proud

to be a small part of TCDA!

Comment: I bet Glenda has beenwatching the Convention from highabove and I’m fairly sure she would say,Awesome Convention!

Response: Bummer. Someone one-upped me on my Glenda closer, but Iagree! √



After teaching choir at the junior highand high school level for 20 years, Ifound myself back in the elemen-

tary music room . . . with no clue as tothe best way to handle the discipline.Kindergarteners through fifth gradersfilled my room throughout the day, and Ifelt most ill-at-ease with the littlest ones– tiny bundles of energy with ceaselessactivity in their little bodies.

My background as a choir director,regarding discipline, was “my way or thehighway”. I carried a big stick and youdidn’t want to mess with me. I foundthat I needed to find a creative way tohandle the elementary kids.

Then a miracle happened: I wasintroduced to Time To Teach. Thismethod of handling children wasrefreshing. I found it to be a nice, neatpackage of how to handle kids. It is allresearch-based, time-tested, and proven.I’d heard some of the ideas before, but Ifound in Time To Teach an effective wayto handle discipline – with very littleteacher stress!

BeliefsTime To Teach is based on this

premise: “Kids don’t care how much youknow until they know how much youcare.” – Madeline Hunter. When youthink about it, this is just common sense.When students are recognized, liked, andrespected they are psychologically moreready and open to receive your teaching.A strong, positive approach to disciplinethat allows for mutual respect is greatlypreferred. When students make mistakesthey should certainly be held account-able, but in a way that promotes takingpersonal responsibility for their actions,rather than the use of punishments that

are ineffective for bringing about anylong-term change in behavior.

Conflict is inevitable, and an essentialpart of growing up. Children seem to bedesigned to pinpoint weaknesses, andthey’re good at it. They look for areas ofuncertainty, so that they can determinetheir operating limits. Teachers need todesign a predictable environment withclear limits and expectations, consistentand effective discipline, and adequatesupervision, while turning inevitableconflicts and challenges into opportuni-ties for learning and behavioral reform.

Behavior can be changed. We can’tchange the way kids have been parented,but we can have an impact on theirfuture behavior. Regardless of the originof a problem, teachers can do a great dealto help a student be successful. We canteach the disrespectful to be respectful,the unmotivated to be motivated, andthe irresponsible to be responsible. Wecan seek to change willful misbehavior.Teachers have amazing power for good inthe lives of children. We must believethat we can make a difference to everychild and that behavior can be changedfor the better. Teachers using Time ToTeach are doing just that.

Good behavior must be taught.Students do not necessarily know how tobehave. One of the most unchallengedassumptions in schools today is thatstudents know how they are supposed tobehave when they enter a classroom.Some children come to school un-socialized and unaware of what’sexpected of them. This may negativelyaffect the classroom. It’s not our job tojudge them, but to welcome thesestudents and then teach them ourexpectations.

Classroom rules and routines need tobe systematically taught. Even the mosteager-to-please, well-behaved childrendon’t know how to act until they havebeen systematically taught the rules androutines of the classroom. We need toprovide specific methods and strategiesfor “teaching-to” expected behaviors. Wehave repeatedly observed the value oftime spent at the beginning of the year in

truly teaching, not just explaining,expected behaviors, and we woodshedthese rules and routines periodicallythroughout the year as needed. Aftermore than four decades of field-testingTime To Teach, I have become convincedthat teaching behavioral expectations isas important as teaching academics. Theresults are impressive, and at the end ofthe year our children have learned more,teachers have taught more, and both arehappier.

Good discipline is well timed. It’s thelittle stuff that wears us down, not the bigstuff. More focus is traditionally placedon serious, violent behavior. While thisis important, strategies for dealing withthe 99 percent of minor infractions thatwear us down daily are notably absentfrom many school discipline programs.Consequently, a “gray area” developswhen it becomes necessary for a studentto be removed from class, but the only,and typical, course of action available toaccomplish this (write a referral) is eithertoo extreme or difficult to justify in theeyes of administrators. “Ongoing,disruptive talking in class” just doesn’tcarry the same weight on a referral as“physical assault”, but the cumulativeimpact of these persistent minordisruptions on learning, and on yourstress level, can be devastating. Aneffective plan and alternate course ofaction must exist in such cases to allowteachers to contingently withdrawattention from the problem behaviorwhile continuing learning. The Time ToTeach “REFOCUS” strategy was expresslydesigned for the purpose of empoweringteachers with the additional disciplineoptions they so desperately need. Bydealing with behavior issues before theybecome full-blown disruptions, weeliminate the need for excessive disci-pline. We must use well-timed actions tointervene early in the “chain of behavior”,stopping the cycle of events and majorproblems before they happen.

Management StylesThere are three basic types of

classroom management: (1) Authoritari-

Discipline in the Classroomby Glen T Miller

Glen T Miller is a part-time trainer/consultantfor The Center for Teacher Effectiveness, basedin Hayden Lake, Idaho. With 27 years ofexperience in education, he has taught all gradelevels, K-12, including core subjects, as well asgeneral music, choir, and band. Glen hasworked for the Lufkin ISD Music Staff for thepast 24 years, both at secondary and elemen-tary levels.



an, (2) Permissive/Indifferent, and (3)Authoritative.

The authoritarian teacher placesfirm limits and controls on the stu-dents. Verbal exchange and discussionare discouraged, and the studentsusually don’t have the opportunity tolearn or practice communication skillsmuch. This teacher prefers vigorousdiscipline and expects swift obedience.Because the teacher makes all thedecisions, this style does little toincrease achievement motivation orencourage the setting of personal goals.Research says that children who arereared in this type of environment willeventually resist and rebel.

The permissive/indifferent teacherplaces few demands or controls on thestudents and can appear generallyuninterested. He is more concerned withthe students’ emotional well-being thanhe is with classroom control. He wantsto be the students’ friend. However, thisoverindulgent style is associated withstudents’ lack of social competence andself-control. With few demands placedupon them, these students frequentlyhave lower motivation to achieve.Research says that children who arereared in this type of environment willeventually turn to disrespect and chaos.

The authoritative teacher placeslimits and controls on the students butsimultaneously encourages indepen-dence. This teacher often explains thereasons behind the rules and decisions.If a student is disruptive, the teacheroffers a polite, but firm, reprimand. Thisteacher sometimes metes out discipline,but only after careful consideration ofthe circumstances. He exhibits a warmand nurturing attitude toward thestudents and expresses genuine interestand affection. He encourages self-reliantand socially competent behavior andfosters higher achievement motivation.Research says that children who arereared in this type of environment havehigher grades, better relationships withtheir peers and adults, longer lasting andhigher paying jobs, and longer lastingand more fulfilling marriages.

At times it’s okay to be authoritarianin the classroom, and it’s also acceptableto sometimes “look the other way”. Butgenerally, the authoritative managementstyle is the way to go in the classroom.And this is what Time To Teach is allabout.

Challenging BehaviorWhat do we do when a student

openly challenges us in front of the restof the class? “Why do we have to do this?This is boring!” Essential to successfullymanaging challenging behavior is theability to first maintain self-control inthe heat of the battle. Losing self-controlcauses you to lose credibility and yourpower and authority are compromised.The first step in maintaining self-controlis to remain calm: “Calm is contagious”and “Silence is powerful”. Take a deepbreath and remain silent, at least initially.We’re going to respond correctly inaction and timing. But in order to dothis, we must first be calm and thinkwith a clear mind.

The second step is simply to waitcalmly and silently while you assume asupportive stance (stand sideways to thechallenging student) and “modelcognition” (act like you are thinking).Experts in crisis abatement suggest thesebody positions. Often, taking these stepsalone will solve the problem. If so,teachers can then address the student’sresponse on their own terms at a latertime (eg, recess – when it is inconvenientfor the student) and set effective limits.

If the student does not back down,you will need to set a limit or conse-quence for the action. Think before youspeak, and ask yourself this question: “Iswhat I’m about to say going to be clear(easy to understand), concise (short andto the point), and enforceable (a conse-quence you can carry out)”.

It’s important, in challengingexchanges, to avoid getting caught up inpower struggles. Remember that conflictis inevitable, but combat is optional. Inmany cases you can diffuse the situationwith a simple one- or two-wordresponse: “I’m sorry”, “I understand”,“probably so”, “nevertheless”. Thesediffusers provide a powerful way to deteror derail student challenges. There is noneed to engage the student further at thetime of the incident. Then later, when itis convenient for the teacher, the studentcan be pulled aside, spoken to, and givena consequence, if appropriate.

Choose Your Battles WiselyOn any given day, teachers are faced

with a multitude of distractions that canlead to off-task behavior. However,students don’t have to behave perfectly inorder to accomplish the ultimate goal oflearning. The key consideration iswhether or not the off-task behavior is ahindrance to learning. If it is not, then itcan be ignored. Skilled teachers some-times deliberately overlook attention-

seeking behaviors. This decision is notarrived at lightly, however. First, teachersmentally ask themselves three ClassroomIntegrity Questions:

1. Am I able to teach? 2. Are the other students able to learn?3. Is the student in question able to

learn? If a teacher can answer, “yes”, to all

three questions, then teaching continues.For example, the teacher “does not hear”the pencil tapping as long as learning cancontinue.

Intervene EarlyIf a teacher cannot answer, “yes”, then

the teacher is obligated to respond to thebehavior. Responses can be verbal ornonverbal and can vary widely in theirdegree of directness. But what is mostimportant in all cases is for the teacher tointervene early in the chain of events sothat the problem is not allowed toescalate into something worse.

REFOCUSREFOCUS is an early intervention

strategy that relies on the withdrawal ofattention from a student exhibitingmisbehavior. It is the consequence usedin Time To Teach and a powerfulrefinement of the century old antisepticbouncing strategy, which affects power-ful, dramatic, and positive impact on thecontemporary classroom. REFOCUS isunique in that in addition to allowing forthe withdrawal of attention, as inantiseptic bouncing, the basic principlesof academic remediation are incorporat-ed in the process. The teacher stops thestudent, re-teaches, checks for under-standing, and sends the student back towork independently. Students are givena prompt, allowed to self-correct, andthen asked to identify the interferingbehavior – all while never leaving anacademic environment.

I have found that the 99 percent ofpesky misbehaviors were much easier todeal with using these guidelines. Theatmosphere in my classroom hasimproved, the students have beenhappier and more productive, and I trulyhave had more Time To Teach! √

For a detailed description andexplanation of the REFOCUS process,please refer to the book, Time To Teach:Encouragement, Empowerment, andExcellence in Every Classroom, by RickDahlgren and Judy Hyatt, or [email protected].



Officer Comments

Greetings! I hope your fall semesteris off to a great start. By the timeyou read this, it will certainly be

almost halfway finished. So, it’s alwaysinteresting to stop and look back. It wasvery strange this year to think about theextra time before school started. I hopeyou did something fun! We did with ourkids and friends and family! July — Canyou even remember it? Let’s take a strolldown memory lane . . . .

The 54th Annual Convention andNew Music Reading Clinic of the TexasChoral Directors Association was heldJuly 29-August 1 in San Antonio. Thanksto our Board of Directors for theiroutstanding work in planning andexecuting an excellent Convention. Wecertainly appreciate the efforts andleadership of our Executive Director,Dan Wood, and his assistant, JeanneKuhn Lowenhaupt. Our music vendor,JW Pepper, did an exemplary job oforganizing and distributing over 220, 000copies of music for the Convention. It istruly amazing to see the work done byour vendor. Thank you Lu Marler,Kakkie Cunningham and the entire JWPepper Crew! It’s equally amazing to seethe faith the music industry puts in theTexas choral market, that they wouldprovide all that complimentary music forour perusal. TCDA extends sincerethanks to the publishers for support ofthis worthwhile endeavor.

We had a tremendous turnout forour reading sessions and workshops.More than 30 teachers and conductorsled workshops for our membershipranging from Elementary School, MiddleSchool, High School, College, andChurch Divisions. Topics includedtechnology, recruitment, musical style,church youth choir tips, tried and provenchurch and elementary literature, sight-reading workshops, and conductingmasterclasses. The heart of TCDA has

always been reading new music. We readmore than 200 titles published within thelast year. These titles were covered in 13separate reading sessions.

Each summer TCDA incorporates astate-wide Honor Choir into theConvention. This year over 1,000 middleschool students from all over Texassubmitted audition CD’s to participate.Approximately 200 students wereselected to the SATB Choir. For two daysthese students enjoyed their wonderfulclinician, Judy Bowers from Florida StateUniversity, and then presented a spectac-ular concert at the TCDA BusinessMeeting. During the concert the MiddleSchool Honor Choir premiered a TCDACommissioned Work, The Elm Tree byDr Earlene Rentz. It was a specialmoment as we recognized the family ofthe poet. The TCDA Board, the parents,and students give thanks to our MS/JHVice President Kathy Lollar for her workas the organizer of this choir, and to thenumerous volunteers who assisted thestudents.

More than 130 TCDA membersparticipated in a Directors Chorus led byDr Z Randall Stroope of Oklahoma StateUniversity. Dr Stroope was inspirationalin his workshops, “Music and the Mind”,and we were able to apply so much ofwhat we learned in the Directors Chorusrehearsals. The Chorus gave a stirringconcert on the final morning of theConvention to a capacity crowd. Theladies of the Directors Chorus premieredthe work, In Time of Silver Rain, by RenéClausen. TCDA has commissionedpieces for most of our 54 years.

We also enjoyed two wonderfulmusical events during the Convention.Under the baton of Randy Jordan, theArlington Master Chorale presented aterrific concert. What a joy it was to heartheir fine performance, and to see a hugeand thriving community chorus!

The Church Division sponsored aworship event, which was hosted by FirstBaptist Church of San Antonio. Threechoirs participated in the Hallelujah!Amen! Service. The Chancel Choir fromFirst Presbyterian in Houston, the TrebleChoir from Palmer Episcopal in Hous-ton, and the Youth Choirs from FirstBaptist in San Antonio each contributedlovely singing to the service. Whatfantastic congregational singing we hadwith a room full of choir directors!

Thanks to Thomas Coker, our ChurchDivision VP, for his work in providingthis worship experience.

Of course, we took time to honor ourcolleagues as well. We presented theTexas Choral Excellence award toBarbara Perkins in recognition of hermany years of excellence in Texas choralmusic. The other recipient of the TexasChoral Excellence Award was TCDA PastPresident Loyd Hawthorne. The TCDABoard also presented the DistinguishedYoung Director Award to AntoinetteMurphy-Harris of San Antonio ISD andto Kimberly Eder Ahrens of Plano ISD.In addition to these awards, TCDA wasproud to present six scholarships tocollege students who are pursuing studiesin music education as well as twoprofessional growth scholarships.

Many thanks go to our NominatingCommittee and their chairman, PastPresident John Hemmenway. Their hardwork resulted in a fine group of candi-dates for the 2010 Convention. Ofcourse, nominations will again be openat TMEA, for any additions or changes.Our Ballot Committee, chaired by AaronHufty, did a fine job of providingaccurate and efficient election resultsduring the meeting. The Ways andMeans Committee, led by Pat Antinone,provided great observations and sugges-tions for improvement.

Does it sound like a full Convention?It was, and I haven’t yet mentionedTCDA’s Got Talent! With celebrity judgesWeston Noble, Z Randall Stroope, andJudy Bowers serving as comic relief, all ofthe acts were outstanding and very well-received. Kudos to Billy Talley for hisgreat work as he assembled a fun andentertaining evening for our member-ship. I haven’t talked yet about theCollege Division and the terrific work-shops for our Student Division! I’ll runout of time (and space) trying to describethe workshops and reading sessions forour Elementary, Middle School, andHigh School Divisions. How can Ipossibly describe the over 300 exhibitbooths we had?

It has truly been my honor to servewith wonderful colleagues and boardmembers as your president during thepast two years. I want to personallythank my wife, Connie Horton, for herincredible and unfailing support. I alsowant to thank my colleagues, Erin

PastPresident

Bob Horton



Officer CommentsNorvelle, Lynn Bull, and BarbaraCaraway for their wonderful friendship,excellent teaching, and “whatever ittakes” attitude each day we worktogether. Over the past two years, I havebeen fortunate to represent Texas choraldirectors at the state and national level.

One thing has become very clear to me:we are fortunate in Texas to have theresources and support we enjoy in choralmusic. I am personally grateful forTCDA and what it provides for me eachyear in renewal and growth opportuni-ties. Consider asking a colleague who is

not a member to join you in July of 2010at our Annual Convention. Take aminute to visit our website at www.Tex-asSings.org. Thank you for the opportu-nity to serve you. If I can be of assis-tance, please feel free to contact me. Bestwishes for your fall! √

2009 Convention Remembered

For many Convention-goers, one ofthis year’s Convention treats wasWeston Noble’s presence. His

session with Sally Schott revealed hisphilosophical beliefs, and the session heconducted with the Arlington MasterChorale put his musical ideas intoaction. But for many of us, the treat wasto converse, reminisce, and enjoy thegenerous spirit that marks Weston’sgreatness both on and off the podium.Speaking of the Arlington MasterChorale, Randy Jordan and his singersleft no doubt in the minds of a roomfulof choir directors that their performancewas vocally, musically, and interpretivelyexcellent. The standing ovation theyreceived represented a universal “amen.”Our college student conductors this year

were talented,poised, andexcellentlyprepared by theirhome-schoolconductingteachers and byKen Fulton andJing Ling Tam.The students werealso aided by twovery responsiveaccompanists,Peggy Graff andJenniferZaccagni. Kenand Jing gaveinsightful andentertainingconductingmasterclasses.Both sessionswere wellattended byconductorsanxious to learnfrom these twomaster conduc-tors/teachers. Forstudent members,the Conventionbegan onWednesdayevening with

another treat. They were hosted at ameeting/ reception by ACDA ExecutiveDirector, Tim Sharp. Members of theTCDA Board were on hand to fieldquestions from the students in a livelyinterchange. The next morning Timpresented a fascinating session onteaching choirs to watch the conductor,and why conductors often unwittinglyteach the opposite.

John Nix presented a session on theuse of software in the rehearsal thatgives the choir immediate visualfeedback when they’re out of tune orcommitting other technical errors.

Dennis Boyter led us through one ofthe most challenging packets of music atthe (very) Advanced High School/Col-lege reading session, with JenniferZaccagni accompanying. It was aConvention to remember.

“Chicken Soup” for Your Musical Soul

With the permission of DeniseEaton, Spring High School’s choirdirector, I quote an e-mail I receivedfrom her shortly after the Convention:“I so enjoyed singing in the DirectorsChorus — I have more empathy for myown students because I was scared . . .there were lotz of notes :-)” I admireDenise for challenging her own musical-ity and sitting on the other side of themusical fence. I think that we often-times get so busy with teaching studentsabout music that we lose touch withwhat drew us to this art in the first place.Growing up musically we practiced, wesang, we performed. Now we makelesson plans, run rehearsals, conductconcerts, and organize fundraisers. It’seasy to forget the personal thrill of ourown music making while we’re trying toteach sight reading, vocal production,diction, etc all day. I really admire theteachers who make time to sing in asymphony chorus, play for their churchchoir, start a barbershop quartet, or runthrough some of their undergraduate

College/Community

John Silantien

16th AnnualSpring High School

SPLASHTOWNChoral Festival

May 6 &7, 2010Spring, TX

Support Music Education!! PROCEEDS from our festival BENEFIT

the MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND sponsored by the SHS choir boosters.

A reputable, affordable, and positive elementary and middle school choral festival

For information go to www.springchoir.com



Officer Comments

Let me begin by thanking theesteemed membership of TCDA forthe opportunity to serve our exciting

organization. I consider it a privilege tofulfill the challenges of this office, andhope I can perform its duties as well asBilly Talley has done for the past twoyears. I am deeply honored andhumbled to be a part of such a dedicat-ed group of colleagues whose focus is toprovide a meaningful conventionexperience and perpetuate the success ofchoral music in our Texas schools. Savethe date and plan to attend the 2010TCDA Convention. You will not wantto miss it!

Many thanks to Billy Tally fororganizing TCDA’s Got Talent! A bigthank you to our friends at Pepper ofDallas/Fort Worth for providing cashprizes for our contest winners! Ourjudges, Weston Noble, Z RandallStroope, and Judy Bowers providedencouraging and heartfelt remarks forour wonderful contestants. Our contes-tants were amazing! Winning contes-tants were: David and KimberlyCorman, 1st Place, Mark Cruz, 2ndPlace, and Laurie Ebarb, 3rd Place.Outstanding performances were deliv-ered by Chris Ahrens, Charlene Wright,The Denton group-Vicki Baker, MarkBaker, Nathan Dame, Patti Freeman,Mike Pricer, Judy Harvel, David Rives,and Barber-Q-Joey Lowrance, VJLowrance, Jimmy Kritikos, and SamLowrance. Special recognition goes toAngela Rivera for her indelible comedicwit and solo dedication to our Immedi-ate Past President, Bob Horton. We alsoenjoyed special appearances by DannyDetrick, the Talley Brothers, the DivineDivas, and our own Dan Wood’s song of

dedication to our TCDA President, AmyAllibon! Thanks to all of you for yourtalent, creativity, and hard work!

We owe a debt of gratitude to somany of you for your service at this pastConvention. Thanks to Michael Dean,Brett Farr, Joe Weir, and Mark Rohwer,our reading session conductors, forleading us through our reading packets.Also, many thanks to our exquisiteaccompanists, Patti Freeman, PeggyGraff, Janet Plummill, and JenniferZaccagni. Your preparation and talentis highly valued.

Our clinicians delivered a wealth ofknowledge and practical applicationsuseful in our everyday teaching. Thanksto Kay Vanlandingham, Rod Zeman,and Barry Talley for sharing yourexpertise. Our featured clinician, Dr ZRandall Stroope presented two engagingworkshops, “Music and the Mind:Teaching Style through Imagery”, and“Music and the Mind: Teaching Musi-cality”. Both demonstrated innovativetechniques using creativity and expres-siveness in performance.

Special thanks to René Clausen, ourCommissioned Work composer, forsharing his talent with us. Under thedirection of Z Randall Stroope, thepremiere of In Time of Silver Rain wasbeautifully executed by the women ofthe Director’s Chorus. I want to thankthe women of TCDA for conveying thetext so exquisitely.

Thanks to the many directors whocontributed your time and talent to theTCDA Director’s Chorus. The pre-miere of Dr Stroope’s new work waseven more exciting with the composerconducting the intent of his ownmusic. Throughout the concert, DrStroope gave life to the music byinfusing the ideas of musicality andexpressiveness presented in his work-shops. Thank you, TCDA choraldirectors, for singing from your heart!The passionate performance delivereda meaningful experience for allaudience members.

As you read this article of thanks

and congratulations, we will all be inthe midst of fall performances,fundraisers, and all of the various tasksthat encompass being a choral director.We wear many hats in the realm ofeducation and choral music. As we gothrough our day-to-day tasks ofteaching, I would like to encourage youto remember that although rigor andrelevance are well woven throughoutthe fabric of performance and are anabsolute must for student success, it isthe idea of relationship that may reallymatter to many of our students. I wasreminded of this very element thisweek when one of our football playerscame by just to say “hi” on a Fridayafternoon. My wonderful assistant andI were working away and he came by todiscuss the football game. So, while

HighSchoolSharon Paul

piano music on a Saturday morning.Providing “chicken soup” for your ownmusical soul will allow you to share your

musicality in class with an added vitality.The bonus ? I bet your students noticethe difference! I’m going to get my

accordion out right now (my musicalroots) and play through “Lady of Spain”. . . very slowly. √


Welcome to a new school year! Bynow we are all getting used toour new choirs, new colleagues,

new students, new responsibilities, andnew opportunities. Before we lookforward to this year, it serves us well toreflect on the recent past. I feel that the2009 TCDA Convention was one of thebest to date. Thank you to Kathy Lollarfor her leadership and expertise inaccruing such wonderful clinicians andreading session conductors, and fororganizing the MS/JH Honor Choir.Thank you also to Connie Viverette whoserved as organizational assistant to MrsLollar in this endeavor. I think for manyof us, watching Dr Judy Bowers workwith the Honor Choir was a definitehighlight of the Convention. Her ChoralPedagogy: Utilizing ContemporaryMethods workshop Saturday morningreiterated the importance of teachingaural patterns to our students. Thepremiere of The Elm Tree, Commis-sioned Work by Earlene Rentz, makesthe MS/JH concert a “must have”recording for our professional libraries. Iwould also like to thank the HonorChoir section leaders, Brent McCartney,Candy McComb, Joel Price, and AngelaWilliamson, whose leadership andexpertise ensured a positive experiencefor the Honor Choir participants. Thankyou to Karla Cruz, Debbie Butler, LauraTaylor, and Mary Jane Thornton forserving as the Honor Choir accompa-nists. The wonderful instrumentalistsfor the rehearsals and concert were

Sheronna McMahon and AaronMichaelson.

I would like to thank Tim Winebren-ner, director, and Laura Taylor,accompanist, for assisting with theMS/JH Tenor-Bass Reading Session.Thank you also to Jenny Crawford,director, and Peggy Graff, accompanist,for their work with the Treble ChoirReading Session. The Advanced JH/HSTraining Choir Reading Session wasskillfully lead by Michael Matlock andaccompanied by Laura Taylor.

The four MS/JH workshops thatwere offered were outstanding. Thankyou, Mary Jane Phillips for the wonder-ful ideas you provided during the sessionentitled Sight Reading Games. SharonRadionoff ’s presentation of The MaleChanging Voice was intriguing andpractical. Thank you also to HeatherSharp for her presentation entitled,Tactical to Practical: Tips for the NewTeacher. If you missed her workshop, besure to secure a copy of her handoutfrom the TCDA website. Finally, I wouldlike to thank the vendors who supportthe TCDA Convention with theirpresence. Be sure to return the favor bysupporting them throughout the comingyear. I am confident that you will agreeit was a wonderful Convention. Whatmade the Convention complete was thenearly 2,000 people who attended andparticipated. A big thank you to thosewho were able to take time out of theirsummer schedule to join us. If you werenot able to attend, please considerputting the 2010 TCDA Convention onyour “to do” list for next summer.

As we settle into a new year, webegin to set goals for ourselves and forour students. These goals help us stayfocused and moving forward. Theyforce us to come up with a course ofaction, an itinerary, a plan. A well-defined goal keeps us from wanderingaimlessly and wasting valuable time and

resources. Falling short of our goalsprovides opportunity to reflect. Wasour goal realistic? Did we stick to ourplan? How will we plan differently forour next goal? Reaching our goalsprovides feelings of accomplishmentand motivation to set even higher goalsfor the future. There is a direct correla-tion between attaining goals and a well-executed plan or process.

I have to be honest here and admitthat I love TV commercials. I have beenknown to watch certain sporting eventsthat occur in late January just to seeevery 30-second clip of advertising thenetwork can fit into a three-hour event.Several years ago I gravitated to a carcommercial with the catch phrase,“Enjoy the Ride”. The commercialdepicted a car going over rough terrain,winding roads, smooth highways, andsteep hills. In spite of the changingtopography, the driver enjoyed thechanging scenery along the way. I don’tremember the destination depicted at theend of the commercial, but I do remem-ber many details of the journey.

After seeing this commercial, Idecided to make the phrase, “Enjoy theRide”, our choir’s mantra. Instead offocusing solely on a goal that seemed faraway, we would make a conscious effortto be aware of the process we would gothrough on our journey to reach ourgoal. “Enjoy the Ride” served as areminder that, although achieving agoal has built-in rewards, the mostvaluable life lessons are learned duringthe process of moving toward a goal.It’s during this quest that we sharpenand refine our skill set and increase oureffectiveness. If allowed, workingtoward a goal can aid in learning a greatdeal about ourselves that ultimatelyassists us in becoming better humanbeings. Few people give up once theirgoal is within their grasp. It is duringthe process that we make the choice tocontinue moving forward or to give up.It’s the “are we there yet?” mentality that

MiddleSchool/Junior HighDianna Jarvis

Officer Comments


students do enjoy being successful, theyalso surprisingly notice the long hours,care, and concern we invest in theirlives. Sometimes that small gift ofverbal encouragement, belief in theirabilities, or just knowing we are therereally can make an impression on a

young mind. We have the unusualopportunity to develop relationshipsover a four-year period, a thread notmany teachers will experience. So Iencourage you, as things become morehectic before the holidays, take asecond look around your choir room,

and perhaps a moment to offer a wordof encouragement or a handshake astomorrow’s young leaders enter or exityour room. It is an investment in ourfuture and the best result is that it willlighten your heart as well!

Happy Fall! √


Officer Commentswe have to work through and the doubtsin our abilities we must overcome thatultimately make us stronger. Themoments, days, weeks, and monthsbetween the start and finish lines definewho we really are. As we begin planningour journey for this school year,consider the following;

• Have a clear plan of action that iswell defined and sequential.

• Challenge yourself to have deliber-ate, well-thought-out lessons that aredirectly related to the process of reachingthe goals. Every rehearsal should have asense of urgency.

• Don’t skip steps or race throughthe “basics”. Lay a solid foundation byteaching the fundamentals (listening, eartraining, pulsing the beat, sight reading,and vowel production).

• Be aware of opportunities forgrowth and yet make a consciousdecision to celebrate the small victories

along the way (such as the rehearsalwhen your Bass section realizes there’s adifference between do to so and do to fa!).

• Realize that most of your studentsreally want to please and do what you areasking of them. The distance betweenwhat they want to do and what they cansuccessfully demonstrate is often bridgedby the right directions from you, theirleader. Enjoy the creative process andchallenge of finding a second or eventhird way to explain a concept that yourstudents didn’t understand the first time.Be creative and “think outside the box”.

• Take the time to appreciate therelationships that develop when thestudents and teacher share a common,agreed-upon goal.

• Foster a sense of mutual trust andrespect within/among your team.

I have no doubt that we will allexperience some interesting terrain tomaneuver through during the next two

semesters. We will encounter greatrehearsals, not-so-great rehearsals,successful performances, hours offrustration, and moments of exhilaratingjoy. We will encounter situations thatforce us to choose between getting upsetand losing our sanity or seeing thehumorous side and laughing. While wemake our way through the days ahead,let’s keep in mind that it is ultimately theprocess that truly counts. If we workhard during the process and intentionallytake the time to enjoy the process, thedestination will ultimately be better thanwe could ever anticipate. We shouldavoid measuring the school year strictlyin terms of successes and failures, but,instead, remember to celebrate thepersonal and collective growth thathappens along the way. It’s important toperiodically take time to roll down thewindows, put the rag top down, and“Enjoy the Ride!” √


As we are in the midst of preparingfor fall PTA programs and begin-ning preparations for major winter

holiday programs, the thoughts of thispast summer’s TCDA Convention seemfar in the past. I hope you have all takensome ideas from Convention andincorporated them into your teachingthis fall – I know I have!

Looking back, I must say that it wasenergizing to be around fellow teachersand to be a part of inspiring andexciting workshops presented byknowledgeable and dynamic presenters.I would like to thank the wonderfulclinicians who presented us withwonderful ideas to take home and usethis year: Cynthia Nott for providingawesome tips and tools for instrumentalmajors who find themselves having tosing in classroom instruction; JamesGreen for giving practical and useful

information on using your computer asa teaching tool along with some greatwebsites to use; Terrie Preskitt-Brownwho graciously led us through theUnison/SA session; Kathy Chiles whoshared favorite tried and provenoctavos, and to Will Varner for accom-panying both of those sessions; AnnBurbridge, Trudy Armas, and LisaWitwer who gave us lots of ideas onhow to start a choir, pieces to use, andmaintaining order and discipline whiledoing so; Connie Horton and CyndieLowry for their dynamite presentationon differentiated instruction andassessment; Patty Moreno and LisaRoebuck for their Kodály expertise andsharing; Susan Elliott and Will Varnerfor their fun and lively folk danceworkshop; and to Gwen Farris for herwonderful “bag” of M&M’s. My collegestudent helper, Judy Hudson, helped mewith many details, was an extra pair ofhands and legs, and always had a smileon her face! Thanks so much to all ofyou for your leadership and dedicationto our wonderful organization. Hand-outs for the sessions are available on thewebsite at TexasSings.org.

For the past couple of years, theElementary Division has been offeringworkshops that were geared to the

general music teacher and the choraldirector, and provide “ready for theclassroom” ideas. Most elementaryteachers fill both of these roles. Yourcomments and input have been over-whelmingly positive about this and wewill continue this trend. I welcome anyand all suggestions for the 2010 TCDAConvention!

As I sat in workshops and readingsessions last summer, I was remindedthat no matter how long we have beenteaching, we should always be learning.Some of the information presented wasbrand new to me and I am excited toshare it with my students. But some ofthe information was a reminder – and Ithought to myself several times, “I’dforgotten about that”. I wonder howmany of you thought the same thing? Ihave already found myself using some ofthose forgotten ideas in my classroomand have been pleasantly surprised tosee that they are still enjoyable to mystudents and to me. I have been diggingthrough handouts from workshops thatI keep in a file to find new ways topresent lessons.

This year I have set three goals formyself each day at school. The first oneis to greet my students with a smile anda positive attitude. Many times it ishard to smile and be positive, but ourstudents deserve our best! Having a flat

Elementary

Karen Gonzalez


Officer Comments

Keep the Goal(s) Before You

As a church musician, I always keepin mind the three elements thatmake for healthy Christians and

healthy churches: worship, fellowship,and ministry.

To that recipe I try to add the fivemusical elements from my musiceducation classes many years ago:singing, harmony, rhythm, creativeactivity, and movement.

Working from the belief that weshould offer to God the first fruits andthe best we have to offer, I have ponderedthe following thoughts regarding whatelements make up quality literature:

• Texts based on Psalms

• Texts based on hymns (hymns of“human composure”)

• Texts based on personal experience

So what of the music?What makes quality? What are the

criteria? Let me say here that one sizedoes not fit all. One has to seek theguidance of the Spirit in planning for aspecific congregation. Paul said, “I havebecome all things to all people…” (1Corinthians 9:22). He did not try tominister the same way in each place onhis missionary journeys!

With these thoughts in mind, I haveworked from the belief that a churchmusician should choose:

• Songs specific to a given situation

• New songs using quality musicalconstruction (Allen Brown, former MusicSecretary for Virginia Baptists, used to

talk about “disposable hymnody” – thatis, hymnody which was appropriate forone generation but not necessarily foranother, but that could be an entirely newtopic)

• Classics

• Material based on folk elements

• Material from those whose worshippractices differ from yours

• Material that is comfortable to yourcongregation

• Material that makes your congrega-tion think

• Material that evokes wonder

• Material that moves thecongregation

And what of presentation?What ways can be used within the

talent base of a congregation to make theworship meaningful? I have workedfrom the assumption that it should bevaried within the comfort level (andsometimes slightly outside the comfortlevel) of the congregation. Thus, onemight use organ, piano, guitar, certainlychoirs, a cappella singing, varied accom-paniments, no accompaniments; variedintroductions from vocal soloists toensembles to solo instruments to . . . well,one gets the idea.

And here’s the thing: the goal is notjust to see how “creative” or how manydifferent styles or people one can use, butrather what really works effectively tomeet the worship goal we have in mindfor a given point in a service.

Consider the short term vs long termtrends. If a given service is designed to be“high church” or “low church,” considerhaving a future service swing the otherdirection. Evaluate with your team todetermine whether you are drifting fromthe direction you are trying to take. Areyour people getting what you hope theywill be getting?

What of process? Work with your team.No individual has a monopoly on

truth and no one has all of the “right”

answers. Respect your differences. Enjoythe diversity and do your best to get yourarms around the task at hand. You havechosen to work with, or in, a givensituation. In the church setting I am in,we work as a team in planning worshipservices. Each member brings a differentexpertise to the process. Each is respect-ed by the others and each is heldaccountable by the others.

This brings us to a review of our pastConvention.

The 54th Convention was tremen-dous from my perspective. In the ChurchDivision we were delighted to be able tobuild a worship service for TCDAmembers to help us “center” ourselvesand reflect on how we are building on thefoundation that makes up the core ofwho we are as Christians, or to look intothe world that makes the Christian lifemeaningful. We had three goals:

1. That it be a genuine worshipexperience and not simply a choralmontage

2. That it be an hour in length 3. That transitions be smooth and

contribute to the whole worshipexperience.

In a worship gathering such as thatprovided by TCDA, one of the sharedjoys is that of great congregationalsinging. It is one of the first things to beconsidered in meeting the goal ofplanning a genuine worship experience.Those who attended the serviceundoubtedly experienced the greatsinging of the congregation – from thegrand and glorious processional hymnthrough the meditative a cappella closinghymn.

I am so grateful for the collaboratorswho made the Hallelujah! Amen! Serviceeffective. Stephen Carrell, John Yarring-ton, Daryl Robinson, and CourtneyDaniell Knapp made an invaluable team.The choirs of each and Daryl’s organexpertise were examples of what happenswhen we choose to give back to God the

Church

Thomas Coker


tire on the first day of school didn’t helpme with being positive and smiling, butI did it anyway and everything workedout just fine! The second goal is to singwith my students every time I see them.Singing is a most personal form of

expression, and I want my students tolearn the love of singing. Singing is askill they can enjoy their entire lives. Mythird goal is to let them have some“move and wiggle” time. I have foundthat I can teach so many concepts while

letting them move. They enjoy thebreak from sitting, and they rememberthe game and the concept the next timethey see you! Have you set goals foryourself this year? It’s not too late, ifyou haven’t! √


best that we have. I want to thank thethree fabulous choirs who gave their timeand talents to making the Hallelujah!Amen! Service achieve the goals we hadplanned. The Palmer Episcopal TrebleChoir from Houston conducted byCourtney Daniell Knapp sang withcharm and beauty of tone. The children(and selected youth/adults) brought asense of wonder and joy to the service. Itwas a special treat to hear the ChapelSingers and the One Voice ensembleunder the direction of Minister of MusicStephen Carrell of First Baptist in SanAntonio. These youth, fresh from anoutstanding youth choir tour through thesoutheast to Florida, sang with convic-tion and vibrancy. They brought a senseof hope and freshness to the service. TheChancel Choir of First PresbyterianChurch in Houston led by Dr JohnYarrington provided maturity and a solidchoral foundation to the service. Theservice was begun and concluded with

the powerful organ playing of DarylRobinson who crafted many otherbeautiful moments in the service.

Special thanks also go to StephenCarrell for his workshops sharing withthe membership some of the ideas,philosophies, and mechanics that go intothe making of outstanding youth choirs.

For some time the Board has beenasked to provide a course in handbells.We were delighted that Bayou CityHandbell Founder and Director, BillNave, was able to meet this need. Thetwo sessions were both inspirational andinformative.

TCDA is always about reading newmusic; however, this was the year that theChurch Division had the opportunity topresent a Tried and Proven Session,breaking from this new music pattern topresent music which has been found towork especially well by those leading thesessions. For a Tried and Proven Sessionto materialize, we are especially indebted

to the publishers for contributing gratiscopies of music – music that has alreadyproven its value. We are also greatlyindebted to JW Pepper and Lu Marlerand Kakkie Cunningham for theirdiligent work in helping make thesepackets a reality. Former TCDA Presi-dent John Hemmenway was thrilled tolead this session, and we were thrilledthat he agreed to do so. His idea was toask two others to choose literature andteam-teach the session. It was my honorto join with John Scarcella in thisventure. Thanks, John.

We were delighted to have Pam Elam,Kyle Damron, and Dr Allen Hightowerleading the church music readingsessions. Kyle and Allen were ablyaccompanied by Daryl Robinson. JanetScarcella returned to action to accompa-ny Pam Elam as well as John Hemmen-way in the Tried and Proven Session.Well done!

Thanks to all.√


Here We Go Again!

5:30 am – why does it have to be soearly? I just got to bed two hours ago.Well, I actually went to bed at 11:00, butdid not get to sleep until after 3:00. Toomuch to think about – new students,new choir dresses, show choir auditions,new assistant, new parents, choirhandbook, (just where are we going onspring trip?), balancing the activityaccount (I thought we had money!),forms, fees, rules, new music . . . you allknow the routine. Now the alarm isringing, I have to shower, get the bagsout from under my eyes, get dressed,drive to school, and get ready for . . . oh,the students are already at my door!Here we go again – where did thesummer go? How come I didn’t getanything done from the two-page legalpad list I had ready to take care of duringmy long summer “vacation”?

When TCDA Convention rollsaround each summer, each of us knowsthat the summer is over, and we begin

planning for the new group of choirpeople to stumble over the threshold ofour choir room, and start making music.

And as daunting as that task may seem,especially with all the things we havethought about the night before begin-

Secretary/Treasurer

Kay Owens

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20 TEXAS√SINGS! Spring 2009

Officer Comments

Twenty years ago, I walked into theWatauga MS choir room – ironical-ly, where I am currently working

part-time is where I began my career. Ifollowed a tremendously popular andfabulous teacher, Stuart Younse, andknew I had to make quite an impressionwith the students, faculty, and adminis-tration. The month before schoolbegan, I attended TCDA for the firsttime. I remember feeling excited aboutmy future and eager to connect withpeople who could help me survive the

trials and tribulations of a first year.During the Convention, I rememberfeeling somewhat clueless. I didn’t havecolorful stories of sight reading roommishaps to share, nor could I recom-mend my favorite TB piece to anyonebecause, well, I did not have one yet. Idid have grueling tales of the TCDATennis Tournament, which at that time,was held at outdoor courts in the 100-degree heat; but alas, no one reallywanted to talk about heat stroke at theSoiree.

More than surviving the tennistournament, I will never forget my firstTCDA because of a workshop I attendedfor first year teachers. Mike Mitchellhad just completed his first year ofteaching at Judson HS and talked aboutwhat he did that was successful.Specifically, Mike talked about what todo the first day of school, a huge blackhole with a looming neon questionmark in my mind. Mike told us whathe did the first day of school, and I

absorbed (and stole) every word. So,on the first day of my career, a la MikeMitchell, my students heard a profes-sionally produced recording of AlsoSprach Zarathustra with a professionalannouncer saying “You have entered anew dimension . . . WELCOME TOTHE WATAUGA WARRIOR CHOIR.”It was a huge hit, the students wereaccepting of their new teacher, and theyear was off to a great start. Unlike a lotof teachers, I had a great first year, and Iknow it was due in part to what Ilearned at TCDA that summer. I hadmusic to start the year from the readingsessions, ideas from workshops like theone Mike lead, and a brand new familyof mentors. To this day, I keep in touchwith Mike and thank him annually forhelping me past the first day of school20 years ago. And to this day, I leave theTCDA Convention with new ideas,music, and inspiration.

This summer’s Convention hasmuch to offer everyone from the collegestudent through the seasoned veteran. Ilook at TCDA through older eyes (withtri-focals) now, and it’s my personalmission while on the Board to makesure TCDA Conventions include themega-names in our industry each andevery summer. Our own membership isstocked with amazing choral directors,and we need to hear from the mostinfluential and highly regarded leadersin our profession. I am proud that thissummer’s Convention will include aDirectors’ Chorus and two workshopslead by Dr Z Randall Stroope.

Dr Stroope is certainly no strangerto Texas. I have watched with greatappreciation as our one and only “three-peat” Texas All-State Choir conductormolded our All-State Treble, Mixed, andMen’s Choirs. Of his many gifts,perhaps his ability to communicate witheach of the choirs is what I admire most.Dr Stroope’s creative programming andability to elicit incredible sounds fromthe choirs culminated in unforgettableperformances for the students and forus in the audience. A master of pro-gramming, Dr Stroope promises tochallenge this year’s Directors’ Choruswhile providing an inspirational andeducational experience. In addition toselections that will include a new workof his own, the women of the Directors’Chorus will premiere a commissioned

PresidentElect

Amy Allibon

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ning anew, it can be a refreshing start aswe begin the year. It is a refreshingfeeling to see all these new faces appear-ing at our doorstep. It is refreshing toanticipate seeing the first light bulb popon in their eyes when they have achievedthat tone, or that phrase, or even figuredout that blasted dotted quarter/eighthnote rhythm pattern. It is refreshing towatch these young people grow intoyoung adults, and understand thatsomehow what we do has an effect onthem (and we all hope and pray thateffect is positive). This is what we do,and we would not have it any other way.So, here we go again (give me guidance,Lord) and let’s get started!

The TCDA Convention went by likea blur, and I hardly have had time to letall of it really sink in. I am very excitedabout serving as the Secretary/Treasurerfor TCDA. It was completely unexpect-ed, but I thank you for giving me theopportunity to be in a leadership role inthis outstanding organization. I havesuch big shoes to fill. Thank you,Janwin Overstreet-Goode for handingme the reins with everything so wellorganized. Many TCDA members served

selflessly to ensure a smooth Convention.David Landgrebe annually gives of histime and skills with the computers forregistration. The 2009 officer candidatesgave up several hours of their Conven-tion to work registration – thank youMark Baker, Tammy Benton, RobinBrockway-Nichols, Marian Cates, CraigGriffith, Greg Haugen, Beverly Hirsch,Gene Holkup, Dianna Jarvis, andSharon Paul. Susan Bartos also helpsannually with exhibitor registration –thank you for your time. I would alsolike to thank Heather Orr, Jed Ragsdale,and their outstanding HospitalityCommittee for their wonderful job withthe Soiree and TCDA’s Got Talent. TheHospitality Booth was always manned byfriendly and competent committeemembers: Megan Arnold, JeannaBaibos, Nicki Bouley, Christine Bridges,Beth Casey, Katy Cuddihee, AllisonDavis, Ron Donlevy, Kammi Estelle,Chris Fiorini, Beth Gove, Mica Kolb,Jessica Koppe, Anita Ladd, CheriLafferty, Grace Littlefield, Lelah Loftin,Michael Madrid, Katie McGee Johnson,Anna McGraw, Dinah Menger, SherryMiller, Jonathan Mollenkopf, NoahReese, Tracie Smith, Stefanie Stephens,John Tucker, Donna White, Cathy

Wafford, Jenae Ware, Cherith Wells, andJason Womack. Thanks for all your hardwork and for your willingness to servethe TCDA membership at the 2009Convention.

The stabilizing force behind thesuccess of our Conventions is ExecutiveDirector Dan Wood and ExecutiveAssistant Jeanne Kuhn Lowenhaupt.Dan and Jeanne always come to SanAntonio prepared with everything weneed for a successful Conventionexperience. We could not functionwithout their work behind the scenesthroughout the year. Lu Marler andKakkie Cunningham from JW Pepperare amazing women; they and their teamdo much year after year to help makeour Convention a success. Thanks, Luand Kakkie.

Well it is 2:45 pm – I made itthrough the first day! Now, let’s see, FirstEvent is tonight for a fundraiser,Thursday is JV Showchoir auditions, theNational Anthem has to be ready byFriday night’s football game, boosterclub meeting, all-state rehearsals beginthis week — what can I say — HEREWE GO AGAIN! Have a great year! √

Officer Comments



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Texas Sings! Vol 25 No 1 Fall 2009

Documents

Transcript of Texas Sings! Vol 25 No 1 Fall 2009