This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
ORCHESTRA DIVISION Clark Chaffee, Vice President


Leaders of the Pack


Looking through P21.org and other resources for information about the 21st Century Skills initiative, one can’t help noticing that these lists of goals could also be called “Benefits of Comprehen- sive Performing Arts Education”.


Te “4 C’s for Learning and Innova- tion Skills” listed on the P21 website are Critical Tinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity. We teach students to develop the critical thinking skills needed to transform a complex universal language into effective expres- sion that is highly personal and treasured by audiences from all backgrounds. We teach students to have the highly refined communication skills needed for nuanced ensemble performance, performing their responsibilities with finesse while responding to subtle cues from the director and peers throughout the group. We teach students how to be responsible about personal preparation for active participation in collaborative activities that transform printed symbols into artistic expression in a group setting while respecting the input of composers, ensemble leaders, and peers. We teach students the fundamentals of our art form and guide their journey through learning many ways to creatively apply those fundamentals.


So let’s make the best of this gift we’ve been handed–the opportunity to be leaders in school improvement. How often have we tried to keep our distance from the latest trends in education? Let’s collaborate with school and community leaders to show them how we’ve long been champions of these core goals. By making time to collaborate, to explore possibilities for meaningful practical ap- plication of initiatives, to share ways that we’ve already found success, and to help others explore ways to improve their own teaching skills, we can find ourselves in the position of enjoying deep respect


42


from students, parents, peers, adminis- trators, and community leaders.


We’ve developed formidable skills sets through everything we’ve had to do to become effective music teachers. Most of those skills are highly valued within the 21st


Century Skills and similar cur-


rent initiatives. When we choose to use those skills to embrace the latest trends in education, we move from the (sometimes discontented) margins of education to the cutting edge of effective leadership in our learning communities. From that posi- tion, we are better equipped to maintain the programs we’ve worked so hard to develop, programs that have a profound impact on the students we serve and the communities in which they live. Who knows, along the way we might just find that we’ve further honed our own skills and become more effective teachers.


2011 Orchestra Events in Peoria


At the 2011 IMEA All State Music Convention, there will be performances of orchestral and alternative styles of music conducted by our Illinois peers. We will have the opportunity to join the national ASTA community of string teachers to honor one of our own. Members of our community will help us learn how to teach upper and lower string techniques more effectively, apply fundamentals of breathing to improve string performance, and learn about recent trends in alterna- tive styles, chamber music, and elemen- tary string education.


Please come join your friends. Support your colleagues. Enjoy a weekend of ex- ploration and rejuvenation. Be inspired by the amazing music making that our students are doing. What would January be without a trip to Peoria?


Here are some exciting reasons to join your orchestra colleagues this year:


Richard Bauer’s Neuqua Valley Chamber Orchestra will be performing, as will the Jazzios (middle school level) and Hi Strung (high school level) Alternative Styles string ensembles from Alton un- der the direction of Laura Plummer and Fariga Drayton. Laura has promised to bring along materials that will help the rest of us all explore this repertoire.


Our ASTA colleagues will be bringing Hans Jørgen Jensen from Northwestern University. Mr. Jensen has earned inter- national respect and numerous awards as a performer and teacher, including National Studio Teacher of the Year from ASTA. He will be recognized at the ASTA lunch and share his insights following the lunch.


We’ll have the opportunity to improve our understanding of technique by attending clinics on breathing for improved string performance from Mark Liu (Aurora), on left hand technique from Dr. Anna Cromwell (EIU) and Dr. Mira Frisch (UNCC), on developing core bass tone from Jason Heath (Libertyville).


Dr. Danelle Larson (EIU) share insights about incorporating chamber ensembles into the curriculum. Susan Haugland (Lake Bluff) will tell us about trends in elementary string education. If you would like to hear lots of new repertoire for your groups, come to the reading session presented by the VanderCook College orchestra under the direction of David Eccles.


Right after the rehearsals end on Fri- day, you and your students can catch a performance clinic on Composing and Performing with Laptop and Electric Cello by New York Jazz and Hip Hop cellist, Dana Leong.


As always, the Orchestra Division appreciates all members who volunteer


Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112