Elementary VP’s Message
“Music has the power to bring people together
Michael Jaycox WMEA Elementary VP I
hope you all have had a wonderful, restful summer! My summer was filled
with family, fun, and, of course, music! I don’t know about you, but I am so happy to be back in the classroom and sharing what I have learned this summer.
This summer I completed my second Orff level in Dallas, Texas, at the Southern Methodist University. Last summer I did my first level there, and it was wonderful working with the same friends that I made a year ago! This experience has been so beneficial to my teaching and my ability to make connections with music teachers throughout the country. My colleagues were from Minnesota, Maryland, Iowa, New York, and New Mexico.
Over the course of these two levels, I worked with teachers from even more states. It was so fun learning about music education in other states: the successes, curriculums, methods, and struggles. What this showed me is that we truly are all in this together. Music teachers throughout this country are amazing individuals who have the best interest for their students. We are stronger when we work together. I believe Wyoming has one of the strongest, close knit group of teachers in the country. We are small in number, but mighty in what we accomplish!
As this year is starting, I challenge each of you to get more involved with different music associations, especially our own Wyoming Music Educators Association
like no other art form.” - Michael Franti
(WMEA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Other groups you may want to consider are the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), both the state and national chapters, and the Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE). These organizations are invaluable for networking and keeping music education strong in our state and throughout the nation!
year asking for folk dances for younger grades! Please post your responses on the forum so that we all can benefit! Just go to
www.wyomea.org and click on Forums in the upper navigation bar. Choose Elementary and then select the forum about folk dances - it’s that easy.
You also may consider joining social media groups, such as “I’m a General Music Teacher,” “Elementary Music Teachers,” “Music Teachers,” and “Elementary Music Teachers Anonymous” on Facebook. I have found these groups to be invaluable on many levels. There are wonderful lessons, discussions, and meaningful conversations. I have also used these pages to ask questions about instrument repairs, lesson ideas, and other general questions.
Another place to ask questions and get lesson ideas is our very own forum, found on our
wyomea.org page! It is very easy to do and it really helps us to use our free, irreplaceable resource! I started one this
I know it’s early, but I look forward to seeing you all this year in Casper at our WMEA conference. This year, Thom Borden will be the elementary headliner. He will be presenting five sessions including topics such as recorder, folk dancing, the Orff process, and children’s literature with music. I will be leading another reading session, and I am offering it to choir teachers as well, so please spread the word! I love getting new music out to more teachers! We will also be doing the after-hours folk dancing session, and the more involvement we can get, the better.
Once again, I hope your year has been great so far and only gets better!
Michael Jaycox is in his seventh year of teaching and teaches K-5 general music in
Powell and Clark. He previously taught K-5 general music and middle school choir, 6-12 band and 9-12 choir in Greybull. He attended the University of Wyoming where he was very active in the collegiate music education program and was also a drum major with the Western Thunder Marching Band, two years as head drum major. Michael holds degrees in Music Education, both Bachelors and Masters, from the University of Wyoming.
Did you know . . . 1 in 10,000 people is born with “perfect pitch” - the ability to identify a pitch without an external reference pitch?
Fall 2018 |
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