tri-m music honor society
It’s All for the Kids!
Jack Plovanich, WMEA State Chair, Tri-M Music Honor Society
How many times have we heard that music and art pro- grams are being re- duced or eliminated because of budget restraints? Admin- istrators and school boards are slash- ing “non-assessed”
programs in favor of core curricula that are tested on the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Examination (WKCE) assess- ment. We must persevere in our quest to keep arts in our schools. Sure, the core subjects are important. We must continue to produce well-rounded students.
I was privileged to be a part of a week- end that really was all for the kids. Next Direction for Band took place February 19-21 at Green Lake Conference Center. Dr. Frederick Speck from the Univer- sity of Louisville was the guest clinician. Next Direction for Band is modeled after WCDA’s NextDirection. Unlike an all- state experience, the performance is not as important as the process it takes to get there. Any students who think they might want to teach band some day should be encouraged to attend this most worthwhile conference. This was the second year for Next Direction for Band and I must say
both events were very successful. Besides working with a nationally recognized cli- nician, the students got to interact with the CMENC members who served as chaper- ones and mentors. The teaching staff also played in the band. The combination of high school and college students along with some seasoned veteran teachers made for a great experience for all who were involved. I would encourage all of you who are reading this to get your best and brightest aware of this project.
Next Direction for Band is a WMEA of- fering. If you don’t belong to WMEA, you should consider it. Your membership fee for WMEA also gets you membership in MENC. There are many membership ben- efits of these organizations. Both WMEA and MENC have web sites that are full of things to learn and teach. For a long time I thought WSMA and WMEA were the same. Schools belong to WSMA, but individuals like you belong to WMEA and MENC. These organizations are great advocates for music education, as we all need to be. With the economy and school funding in the state they are in, it is more important than ever to do everything we can to promote and make visible the thing for which we are so passionate – music
education.
“It is up to
everyone to keep school music vital and visible.”
Since I have retired from teaching high school band for many years, I have had the opportunity to work with middle school brass players. The transition was very interesting for me. The mindset and attention span of especially the sixth grade students was very different from what I was used to having with my high school students. In my opinion, this is where we can really get them and keep them inter- ested in music. If you work with this age group, nurture and cherish them. They are truly our future.
This will be my last article as Tri-M chair. I have served two terms and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I always wondered how the October conference was planned. Now I know. The mission and direction of music education in Wisconsin was ad- dressed at the summer council meeting. I would encourage all of you, especially young teachers, to get involved in WMEA. There is a vast wealth of knowledge and experience that is available to you. I hope you take advantage of all that is out there.
It is up to everyone to keep school music vital and visible. We owe it to the kids who rely on us to keep them thinking in creative ways that only music can provide.
I’ll see you down the road.
jplovanich@wi.rr.com
30
April 2010
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