3 Simple Words – KEEP AT IT!

May 2, 2020April 29, 2020 paulkfoxLeave a comment

How Are You Spending YOUR Time?

This is probably the most important message we can share with you during this period of coronavirus self-isolation.

No matter what this pandemic throws at us, or how long we remain away from close human interaction and participation in our ensembles or classes at the now closed “brick and mortar” schools, let’s keep a focus on maintaining our “chops,” building on our “musical momentum,” and practicing every day.

From an eco-friendly (“save our natural resources”) slant as well as an economist’s perspective, you have invested too much time and money on playing an instrument to give up now! So, nature and the COVID-19 have thrown you a few curve-balls these past seven weeks?

The only way we should respond to the challenge is to meet it head-on!

Take advantage of all of this available “free” stay-at-home time to further your artistic enrichment and make “new and improved” musical goals!

No teacher will have any patience listening to your whining or remarks of “could have,” “would have,” or “should have been” excuses. What have we always wished for? “If only I had enough time to learn that new scale, étude, or song!” “With all of my other academic assignments, sports events, and extracurricular activities, how can I fit in moments for listening to bands, orchestras, or classical virtuoso artists performing on the web?” “When am I ever going to have the chance to compose…” (or “arrange” or “record” or “memorize” or “conduct” or “choreograph”) “…that piece?” “When will I get around to learn this new technique, practice sight-reading, or dive into those drills designed to improve my key literacy, rhythmic precision, tone, intonation, range, form, coordination, embouchure, stick rudiments, or bow control?

The answer is… now only one word: NOW!

What are you waiting for? You have too much at stake here, and soon, this crisis will pass, and we will all come back together – only much stronger and wiser for making good choices in the use of our time!

We divided up the SHJO.clips into categories to develop your “well rounded” musicianship:

C = Create, invent, explore
L = Listen
I = Inspire, read, analyze
P = Practice, perform
S = Share, show others, play for fun

(Download the interactive CLIP JOURNAL here!)

How many of these have you accomplished? In your clip journal, do you show progress in all focus areas? Can you advise SHJO family members and directors on your recommendations on future projects to further our “collective” knowledge, skills, and appreciations in music? (We would LOVE to hear from you!)

Now get out there and learn, create, and share meaningful moments in music!

PKF

The mission of South Hills Junior Orchestra, which rehearses and performs at the Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, PA, is to support and nurture local school band and orchestra programs, to develop knowledge, understanding, performance skills, and an appreciation of music, to increase an individual member’s self-esteem and self-motivation, and to continue to advance a life-long study of music. Members of the Orchestra learn, grow, and achieve positions of leadership to serve their fellow players.

(For more information about SHJO, please visit www.shjo.org.)

This and all Fox’s Fireside blog-posts are free and available to share with other music students, parents, directors, and supporters of the arts.

Click here for a printable copy of this article and the Interactive Clip Journal.

Other “Fox Firesides” are available at https://paulfox.blog/foxs-firesides/.

Photo credits from Pixabay.com:

“Campfire Stick Fire Flame Camping” by Free-Photos

“Learn Student Laptop Internet” by geralt

“Crying Smiley Emotion Sad” by OpenClipart-Vectors

One Happy But Solitary Retiree

April 16, 2020May 10, 2020 paulkfox2 Comments

The corona-virus crisis has created a new stay-at-home environment for all of us. With the exception of healthcare appointments, grocery pick-ups, and mail deliveries (as well as a few other essential services), we have been banished to indoors for the most part, allowing only an occasional excursion to go get take-out or walk the dogs.

And, many of us feel a bit claustrophobic and worried about the future!

Do not underestimate the cognitive and emotional load that this pandemic brings, or the impact it will have on your productivity, at least in the short term. Difficulty concentrating, low motivation and a state of distraction are to be expected. Adaptation will take time. Go easy on yourself. As we settle into this new rhythm of remote work and isolation, we need to be realistic in the goals we set, both for ourselves and others in our charge.

— Desiree Dickerson at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00933-5

The purpose of this blog is to reflect on the measures we can bolster our sense of well being, stimulate new directions of personal growth, and endure the unpredictable “ups and downs” of this period of mandatory confinement.

Self-Care and COVID-19

According to mental health providers and experts in wellness such as Geisinger Health, it is important to your overall health to make time for personal self-care.

From watching the news every hour to scrolling social media a little too much, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of what’s going on around us.

And you’re not alone in this.

If you’ve found yourself in an extended state of self-quarantine, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your mental health, in addition to your physical health.

— Geisinger Health at https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2020/03/18/17/56/self-care-during-quarantine

Geisinger recommends these practices of self-care during a quarantine:

Make time to unwind.
Exercise to promote good health.
Be mindful to support your immune system.
Take breaks from the news.
Remind yourself why you are in isolation.

Here are a few more websites that might help if you are feeling depressed, confused, or just not coping well with all the “corona chaos…” (like us all):

What Are You Waiting For? Just Make Music!

If truth be told, as a writer and a musician, I personally don’t mind having all of this extra time to focus on creative self-expression.

Think about it…

What have you always wanted to explore… play… sing… compose… record… conduct… create?
When will you finish your own “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” prepare the parts, and eventually have it taught, performed, and/or recorded?
When are you going to publish your next song, article, book, warm-ups, instrumental method, essays on pedagogy, musical, drumline feature or halftime show… or write your personal memoirs?

Well, what’s stopping you from devoting yourself to it RIGHT NOW?

As retired music teachers, we have an advantage… avoiding most of the stress that our still-employed colleagues are experiencing, suddenly having to “catch-up” with the technology, search for online music learning tools and lessons for their classes, and facing even more mostly unanswered challenges:

How can I care for my music students and the school program from home?
What essential learning can/should I offer during the school/activity closures?
How can I rehearse my music ensembles?
How can we provide meaningful feedback? Should we assess their work?
How do I motivate my students to continue their practice or music enrichment?
How will I find the mental, emotional, and physical stamina to serve my students during this lock-down without becoming overwhelmed?

Costs and Risks Associated with All of This “Social Distancing”

Yes, we have ways to stay in touch electronically via text, email, videoconferencing, and social media, but it is not the same. In fact, many studies indicate that the more time we spend on social media, the less happy, less empathetic, and more envious we are.

The very act of meeting face-to-face, making eye-contact, and physically touching nourishes us but also exposes us to the coronavirus. We all know of the infant mortality research that shows babies deprived of physical touch experience development limitations. It is no different for adults. The Atlantic quotes Tiffany Field, the founder of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, in describing the power of physical touch:

“…any pressure or movement on the skin helps increase the activity of the Vagus nerve, which connects to every major organ in the human body. Touch from another human slows down the heart. It goes to the GI tract and helps digestion. It helps our emotional expressions—our facial expressions and our vocal expressions. It enhances serotonin, the natural antidepressant in our system. That vagal activity can also lower a body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol; cortisol is known to harm the ‘natural killer cells’ that can fight viral, bacterial, and cancer cells.”

Field concludes that as people are now especially stressed over the consequence of the virus, they have even greater need of these valuable effects of touch, now that they are afraid to hug or shake hands as usual.

— Robert Hall at https://ifstudies.org/blog/avoiding-a-relationship-pandemic

Indeed, what I do miss most is the human interaction… the ability to share two-way verbal and musical communication in an ensemble. I long for sharing music with the players in my community orchestra – the South Hills Junior Orchestra – who before the outbreak, rehearsed every Saturday for two hours at my former employment placement, the Upper St. Clair High School. I have to settle for sending them more of my “how-to” music articles (Fox’s Firesides) and basically low-tech “distance learning opportunities” discussed in my last blog here.

Go-To-Meeting, Google Hangouts/Meeting, or Zoom.com

Zoom is not a great vehicle for a “free and easy” exchange of ideas or being able to “monitor and adjust” the learning of a group of students. We use it, and other choices like Go-To-Meeting and Google Hangouts, because we have to use them. It’s better than nothing. It’s important to at least “check in” with the members of your community, church, or school band, orchestra, or choral ensemble, and give them a chance to talk to one another, if only by allowing the use of the chat feature or unmuting all of their mikes at once. (But, get ready for a loud cacophony of sound!)

Zoom is offering a package that is free as long as you stay under 40 minutes for your virtual meetings of more than two people. The sound (delayed and designed for voice not music) is not great, and you will need to do a quick study of how to adjust the technology to fit your needs. Several websites offer some advice on adaptations for music educators:

If you are thinking about holding online private music lessons, take a look at my string colleague Susanna Sonnenberg’s article.

Don’t Become a “Couch Potato!” Get Active and Stay Active!

What we don’t want to do during this emergency is to spend most of our time watching television. Besides being totally unhealthy, sitting in your easy chair like a lump and watching hours upon hours of generally, in my opinion, totally uninspiring programming, will drain the gray matter from your brain. I don’t know if I could stand watching another PBS broadcast rerun, National Geographic episode, or “Nature” program.

The bottom line: being solitary is not being alone. And even if you are left alone at a given moment, you should not be bored!

“Boredom isn’t good or bad,” said John Eastwood, who runs the Boredom Lab at York University in Canada and is co-author of Out of My Skull, a forthcoming book on boredom. “It’s what we do with that signal.”

That’s a confusing moment, especially amid the pandemic, with news outlets and social media publishing endless lists of things to do with all the newfound time, from the juiciest TV to downloading hours of podcasts — a digital bounty that Newton, thankfully, didn’t encounter.

“When you don’t have a lot going on, you might say, ‘Wow, I’m going to binge watch Netflix. This is perfect,’ ” Eastwood said. “That will get rid of the feeling in the short term. But treating yourself like an empty vessel to fill with a compelling experience makes you more ripe for boredom down the road.”

Why?

“Because what you’ve done,” Eastwood said, “is you’ve failed to become the author of your own life.”

— Michael S. Rosenwald at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/these-are-boom-times-for-boredom-and-the-researchers-who-study-it/2020/03/27/0e62983a-706f-11ea-b148-e4ce3fbd85b5_story.html

A Top-Ten List for Retired Music Teachers

So, here are my ten things-to-do when stranded at home during any period of forced inactivity or voluntary self-quarantine:

Use Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, etc. to “call” several loved ones, friends, coworkers, or neighbors in your life, and “check in” with them to see how they’re doing. They would appreciate hearing from you!
Feeling lonely or a little down yourself? Reach out to someone. Studies show that when we connect with someone, we release the hormone oxytocin, a chemical that can actually help repair your heart. Simply talking about our problems and sharing our emotions (positive and negative) with someone you trust can be profoundly healing—reducing stress, strengthening our immune system, and reducing physical and emotional distress.
Practice. No matter your choice of instrumental or vocal self-direction, or exposure to the self-exploration of other art forms like painting, drawing, sculpture, sewing, woodworking, photography, or writing, now is the perfect time to develop greater levels of personal artistry, proficiency, and self-confidence… even to establish new goals/pursuits. I have found that mornings work best for me with anything that requires creativity. (Brainstorming for this blog occurred at 8:20 AM one morning, after sleeping in a little, watching the news, and having my breakfast and coffee).
Go outdoors and exercise. Get your body moving… a little every day! If you are lucky to have a furry pet or two, venture into the neighborhood with them… of course, maintaining “safe social distancing” (even the dogs have to stay 6 feet apart from the two-legged mammals) and adhere to the essential rules of pet walking etiquette and citizenship (mentioned here).
Return to those “old fashioned” leisure activities: listen to your favorite music or read a book. Revisit something from that Hornblower (C. S. Forester) or Tom Clancy series (my frequent “gems”). When I needed a break in college (100+ years ago?), I took the afternoon off, ordered myself a medium pizza (yes – I ate it all!), and then walked to the Oakland branch of Carnegie Library to sit in those wonderfully comfortable high-back leather chairs and pull out one of my “old friends” to read.
In other sections of this blog site (here and here), I have already discussed avenues for developing the right side of the brain, mainly our innate creativity and curiosity quotient. Visit these notable sites: https://nationalcreativitynetwork.org/, https://curiosity.com/, Sir Ken Robinson, Odyssey’s 9 Useful and Inspiring Websites for Creative People, Dr. Curtis Bunk’s old “Best of Bunk” site, and the “pinkcasts” and eBooks of Daniel Pink.
Puzzle doing or making can be a relaxing pastime. Some people like to create them (I drew mazes when I was in grade school), while others try to solve them. My wife can sit for hours completing crossword puzzles or assembling the pieces of a virtual jigsaw puzzle on her iPad. If you like making word games, look at websites like http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/ or https://www.puzzle-maker.com.
If you are in a “tidy mood,” now would be a great time to reorganize, de-clutter, or sort through your closets, cupboards, or drawers. Put aside unused or unneeded clothing for Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Have you indexed your record/CD/DVD collection? One year I alphabetized (by author) and reordered the entire collection of sea books on the shelves in my library (100’s of fiction and nonfiction editions). Do librarians or data base managers get bored easily?
If you are lucky enough to be a pensioner and can rely on a somewhat safe monthly income coming in, you might be surprised that this might be a good opportunity to save money. My wife and I have suddenly stopped going out to our favorite restaurants, which was our usual practice 3-5 times a week. Cooking and eating at home, although raising our grocery budget, has brought down our overall food expenses. Put away a little green every month while eating those healthy greens! And, if you can tolerate the stock market doing it’s “roller coaster ride,” consider planning a few new long-term investments if/when you decide the prices are low or discounted enough during the economic crisis.
Finally, schedule a virtual field trip. During our careers and now retirement, my wife and I were never much into traveling around the country or the world. Professional responsibilities (string camp, music workshops, youth orchestra tours, and the extended marching band season) usually precluded taking cruises or long vacations. There are a lot of places on the planet to which we have not journeyed. One thing a lot of people have discovered during these shelter-in-place restrictions is the amazing number of FREE online resources that transport us to museums, galleries, architecture “wonders of the world,” online films of Met operas and Broadway musicals, etc. Plan to take a handful of these wonderful “Internet trips.” (Special thanks for the advance “legwork” of many of these destinations done by Andrea Romano at https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours).

British Museum, London: https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
Guggenheim Museum, New York: https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum-interior-streetview/jAHfbv3JGM2KaQ?hl=en&sv_lng=-73.95902634325634&sv_lat=40.78285751667664&sv_h=30.75703204567916&sv_p=0.06928383072430222&sv_pid=MfnUmHRyOSzMtY3vtYU05g&sv_z=0.9645743015259166
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
Musée d’Orsay, Paris: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-museum-of-modern-and-contemporary-art-korea?hl=en
Pergamon Museum, Berlin: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/pergamon/m05tcm?hl=en
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/rijksmuseum/iwH5aYGoPwSf7g?hl=en&sv_lng=4.885283712508563&sv_lat=52.35984312584405&sv_h=311.1699875145569&sv_p=-5.924133903625474&sv_pid=fOVcUXQW2wpRf33iUmxEfg&sv_z=1
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-j-paul-getty-museum?hl=en
Uffizi Gallery, Florence: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en
MASP, São Paulo: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/masp?hl=en
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-national-museum-of-anthropology-mexico-city-ziko-van-dijk-wikimedia-commons/bAGSHRdlzSRcdQ?hl=en
The Musée du Louvre, the Tuileries Garden, and the Cour Carrée https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
National History Museum: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
Women’s History Museum: https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/online-exhibits
National Museum of the US Air Force: http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/
Catalog of Smithsonian Virtual Exhibits: https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/online
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Ohiopyle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj07nyrJJQg
Encore presentations of the New York MET: https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/
“15 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch from Home” https://playbill.com/article/15-broadway-plays-and-musicals-you-can-watch-on-stage-from-home
Billboard’s Live Streams and Virtual Concerts https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9335531/coronavirus-quarantine-music-events-online-streams
Glamour’s “Every Artist Offering Free Online Concerts While You’re Stuck at Home” https://www.glamour.com/story/coronavirus-all-the-artists-offering-free-online-concerts-while-youre-stuck-at-home
Free Classical Concerts Online https://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2020/03/16/free-online-classical-concerts
NPR’s List of Live Virtual Concerts to Watch During the Coronavirus Shutdown https://www.npr.org/2020/03/17/816504058/a-list-of-live-virtual-concerts-to-watch-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra “Extraordinary Measures” https://pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/extraordinary-measures
Pittsburgh Opera “Intermezzo – a daily dose of opera” https://www.pittsburghopera.org/season/free-low-cost-events/intermezzo-videos
Philadelphia Jazz Project http://www.philajazzproject.org/
Virtual Philadelphia Orchestra https://www.philorch.org/performances/special-performances/virtual-philadelphia-orchestra/

More websites with suggestions about conquering boredom or avoiding becoming too sedentary during the COVID-19 “stay-at-home” orders:

“50 Things to Do on a Boring Day at Home” by Daniel Hatch: https://www.danielbranch.com/50-things-to-do-on-a-boring-day-at-home/
“How to Stay Busy at Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak – and Support Small Businesses at the Same Time” by Olivia Harrison: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/03/9552059/things-to-do-at-home-during-coronavirus-activities
“30 Fun Things to Do at Home” by Charlene Tops: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/30-fun-things-home.html
“15 Ways to Practice Self-Care in the Time of Coronavirus” https://qz.com/1818622/how-to-practice-self-care-during-coronavirus/
“10 Things to Do if You’re Stuck at Home” by Nina Eyu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD-x0SoiTaE
“100 Things to Do While Stuck Inside During a Pandemic” by USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2020/03/16/coronavirus-quarantine-100-things-do-while-trapped-inside/5054632002/

This article and researching the links above took 4-5 hours, and were the things I did to pass the time TODAY! So, now it’s your turn.

The world is your oyster. Get out there and crack it!

Best wishes for your continued good health, safety, happiness, and finding a little music and meaning in every day!

PKF

Photo credits (in order)

Shutterstock_1660879444

From Pixabay.com

concerns-concerned-about-the-anxiety-4944455 by Larsgustav
yoga-exercise-fitness-woman-health-3053488 by lograstudio
score-music-piano-guitar-melody-4947840 by sweetlouise
covid-19-coronavirus-distance-4940638 by geralt
meeting-relationship-business-1019875 by Peggy_Marco
wood-couch-potatoes-funny-potatoes-3119970 by Alexas_Fotos
sunset-island-mar-dusk-brain-485016 by 95C
pieces-of-the-puzzle-mix-hands-592798 by Hans
wooden-train-toys-train-first-class by Couleur

Engaging Music Students Online

April 2, 2020May 5, 2020 paulkfox1 Comment

Once the COVID-19 emergency was declared and universally all schools and outside activities were cancelled (for who knows how long?), the 37th spring season of my community youth (of all ages) orchestra was also “clobbered!” Up to this time, the Western PA-based South Hills Junior Orchestra (SHJO) regularly met on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the school from where I retired: Upper St. Clair High School.

It immediately became apparent I must reach-out to my instrumentalists and keep them “at it” to continue their music practice and artistic enrichment. How should we stimulate our music students and embrace those activities most of us “traditional” music teachers may be less skilled/experienced in approaching:

digital
virtual
remote
alternative or
distance music learning?

First, using a free-version of Mailchimp, a software tool that helps generate and send out group emails, we messaged our ensemble players, trying to inspire “re-connections” and independent learning, and giving them “pep talks” like this one on March 30, 2020: https://mailchi.mp/129b1cfdc54e/music-and-artistic-enrichment-3922957.

Then, it was time to research the wonderful world of online music education, such as this huge collection of ideas from “professionals in the know.” (See my last blog-post at https://mailchi.mp/129b1cfdc54e/music-and-artistic-enrichment-3922957 OR this regularly updated link on the PMEA Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention website.)

The results of all of this are the following SHJO.clips, being distributed to our SHJO families several times a week. This is an ongoing process, and we welcome YOUR COMMENTS – questions, concerns, and new suggestions, too.

[All of these and future posts are available as PDF files at http://www.shjo.org/clips.]

CLIP #1

Inspire: Have you ever tried the “experiments” in Chrome Music Lab?

What can you create?

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

Listen: Critique this YouTube recording of the Fugue in G Minor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZURoUJQe0

Questions for self-reflection:

What are a few of the strengths or positive attributes of this performance?
Generally, how were the quarter notes articulated? Legato, marcato, staccato? In your opinion, how should they have been played?
What improvements would you offer for the posture of the performers?
What sections in the music did the ensemble “hang together” and when did they “fall apart?”

Practice: Select and play your favorite major key…

…performing a scale up and down on your instrument:

Long tones (quarter notes), focusing on good tone and intonation. Quarter note = 60
Four eighth notes per pitch in a legato articulation (same tempo).
Two eight notes per pitch (same tempo)
One eighth note per pitch (same tempo)

Every day you practice, change the key (start on a different note).

CLIP #2

Listen: Easy Guide to Appreciating Classical Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v11OJNEdIn8

Sit back (wash your hands and pass the popcorn) and enjoy this introductory video for listening to Classical Music.

Did you know the definitions of opus, fugue, subject, recap?

How was the nickname “Moonlight” assigned to Beethoven’s famous Piano Sonata?

How many different periods of Classical music does the moderator mention? Could you name them?

Inspire: Are you a little bored staying home from school?

Just for fun, here are a few online music games your parents would approve of you playing to review terminology, composers, and notation.

Music Expressions and Terms Hangman http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/hp_quiz_hangman002_musicexpressions/hangman002_musicexpressions.htm
Treble and Bass Note Name Space Invaders http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/cg_quiz_invaders_music_note_names.htm
Composer Concentration (easy) http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/quiz_concentration_composers_easy/quiz_composer_concentration001_easy.htm
Composer Concentration (hard) http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/quiz_concentration_composers_adv/quiz_composer_concentration.htm

Practice: “The Ladder of Music Achievement”

Ever wonder how a music teacher knows what and when to teach a specific musical concept? Here’s the “rubric!” Start at the bottom and work yourself up “step by step.” Take a passage from our music. How high can you go?

Level 12: I played expressively.
Level 11: I played with self-confidence.
Level 10: I played with phrasing.
Level 9: I played with the dynamics as marked.
Level 8: I played with characteristic tone (with vibrato).
Level 7: I played with the correct bowing style (legato/detaché, staccato/martelé, or spiccato).
Level 6: I played with the correct articulation (legato, marcato, or staccato).
Level 5: I played the bowings (down and up) and slurs correctly.
Level 4: I played the pitches with accurate intonation.
Level 3: I played the correct fingerings and pitches.
Level 2: I played the rhythm accurately.
Level 1: I held a steady beat.

CLIP #3

Create: Learning to Hear & Compose Harmony for Our Favorite Theme

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RomMDJmMUUc&fbclid=IwAR1TKISv7ICT7DouuQo5CZsyIQ6z7w_WTtQRoc3s-QykJFHopT8uvv5QARo

Score: https://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/f7c3185d04f2c9307dff1114e7ad6596eb46da3c

Website for Noteflight: https://www.noteflight.com/home

Not sure if SHJO members have access to Noteflight, a free program for generating sheet music, but just watching the video, you can learn a lot about creating harmony. If you are interested in “jumping into” learning Noteflight, go to their website above (ask for permission to sign-up – purchasing the premium version is not needed).

Listen: “Warren Music” series

Although focused on “popular” music and at times a bit repetitious, WARRENMUSIC provides a library of music theory and ear-training (even play-by-ear) lessons, enough to keep you busy for hours! Do you play guitar? You’ll love Warren! See samples below. If you want to “hit the street running,” peruse #5 and then videos #9 on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wAux1hh9wU&list=PLz4ee9SDzhrpJ1v-o5VSqHSyMC3-rXjtP&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWD5-xmSovo&list=PLz4ee9SDzhrpJ1v-o5VSqHSyMC3-rXjtP&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7l6Y6fTPDw&list=PLz4ee9SDzhrpJ1v-o5VSqHSyMC3-rXjtP&index=9

Practice: “The Ladder of Music Achievement – Part 2”

Now let’s assess your practice. Pick out a passage from the SHJO folder or any excerpt (several measures or lines) from other challenging solo/ensemble repertoire. Play the same section every day for a week. Create a journal with the date, problem solving observations, other comments, and rate your daily achievement using this meter:

Level 12: I played expressively. _______________________________________
Level 11: I played with self-confidence. _______________________________________
Level 10: I played with phrasing. _______________________________________
Level 9: I played with the dynamics as marked. _______________________________________
Level 8: I played with characteristic tone (with vibrato). _______________________________________
Level 7: I played with the correct bowing style (legato/detaché, staccato/martelé, or spiccato). _______________________________________
Level 6: I played the correct articulation (legato, marcato, staccato). _______________________________________
Level 5: I played bowings (down/up) & slurs correctly. _______________________________________
Level 4: I played the pitches with accurate intonation. _______________________________________
Level 3: I played the correct fingerings and pitches. _______________________________________
Level 2: I played the rhythm accurately. _______________________________________
Level 1: I held a steady beat. _______________________________________

Inspire: 126+ More Musical Games and Quizzes!

http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm

Check the above link of MusicTechTeacher’s entire collection! You can review concepts while having fun GAMING!

CLIP #4

Inspire: “A Message from The Foxes’ Favorite Master Motivator”

“Dr. Tim!”

Did you sit down and view “A Message from Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser” we sent out in the last Mailchimp newsletter? If you do nothing else today, this should be your number one priority! (Share this with your family members.)

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MwWVkBBREw

Think about trying one or two of the things he suggested for helping yourself and others during this break.

Listen: Pittsburgh Symphony “Extraordinary Measures”

We are always looking for more SHJO.clips, and Mackenzie Cloutier researched and found this link of five videos! Even live performances of the PSO have been cancelled, but they are playing “on the web” just for you! Go to:

https://pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/extraordinary-measures

Practice: “The Wheel of Fortune”

SHJO Practice Spinner

Do you need help deciding on WHAT TO PRACTICE? How about going tech with an online SPINNER to SELECT what you should work on? Mrs. Fox found this cool website: https://pickrandom.com/random-wheel/.

Spin to cover at least 3 categories a day. Use the setting that removes the number after you spin it (no repeats).

Zero = WARMUPS
One = SCALES
Two = ETUDES
Three = SOLOS
Four = ENSEMBLE MUSIC
Five = MEMORIZE A TUNE
Six = SIGHT-READ SOMETHING NEW
Seven = “OLDIES”
Eight = RECORD A SELECTION
Nine = PLAY A DUET WITH YOURSELF
Ten = PERFORM FOR SOMEONE

Share: We’re looking for more online games…

…that review music theory, history, notation, terms, etc.

Did you try all of these? http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm

Sometimes music learning can be a lot like GAMING! Mr. Fox found another website with which to experiment:

Ultimate List of Online Music Games: https://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2012/08/the-ultimate-list-of-online-music.html

If you find something interesting – any game, recording, or website – share it by emailing Mr. Fox at pfox@shjo.org.

Create: BINGO CARD!

We are also looking for someone to design a fun practice card like this one: https://christina-yunghans.squarespace.com/s/Music-Bingo-Cards-sample.pdf.

Send a single copy to pfox@shjo.org.

CLIP #5

Share: “On the Ear” News Reporter

Broadcast your own music review!

For this activity, you will need a device with voice recording capabilities, and a different device to listen to music selections, such as a radio or a record player, CD player, tape recorder, Music Choice channels on cable TV, or a computer on which you can view a YouTube selection, etc. Listen to an orchestral music selection or a recording of a selection for the instrument you play. (Examples: Bach Fugue in G minor, “The Lesser” or Haydn Trumpet Concerto, and so on.) As you listen to the music on one device, have you voice recorder ready to make running comments, just like a music reviewer or “play by play” sports event reporter. Download all of the instructions here: http://www.shjo.org/s/Music-Reporter-032620.pdf

Inspire: “The Musicologist”

Free music theory review, courtesy of musictheory.net

We learned a lot last year using our Alfred Music Theory series. How much of it can you recall defining the “fundamentals of music notation?” (You do not have to purchase their Tenuto app as advertised on the website, although it is a reasonably priced option for further study! If you are a serious musician, Mr. Fox recommends it.)

Complimentary online instruction is available at https://www.musictheory.net/lessons.

To test your knowledge, here is the free link: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises.

Listen: “How Bad Can It Get?”

Classical music “fails” – just for fun!

Do you need a good laugh… conductors losing batons, concert disruptions, and much more? If you can get past the hideously out-of-tune and badly played introduction, see if you can find a violist making fun of a cell phone going off during his recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPA31kvEUyY

Practice: “Mr. Fox’s Music Bingo”

A few ideas to keep on practicing and “give back” your music!

If you want to print your own copy of the card or re-arrange the order of the activities, download from this link: https://christina-yunghans.squarespace.com/s/Music-Bingo-Cards-sample.pdf.

Practice: “Mr. Sheehan’s Practice Guide”

If you prefer a more cerebral plan, download/read/apply the excellent manual “What to Do When You Practice” written by the band director from Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School (PA), and the new President-Elect of the National Association for Music Education: http://www.shjo.org/s/What-to-Do-When-You-Practice-Booklet.pdf

CLIP #6

Share: “Easy Classical Music Games”

Teach a younger sibling or neighbor the “basics of music!”

SHJO has a membership of all ages. Some of these clever activities are pretty easy, so “show your stuff” to a friend or family member: https://www.classicsforkids.com/games.html

Inspire: “Budding Composers: How to Avoid Getting Sued”

Mr. Fox’s latest YouTube video “find!”

How many Classical music themes seemed to be “borrowed” in popular music? A few tips on copyright law, too! Closer to home, do you remember SHJO’s playing of “Aura Lee?” Do you know the origins of the tune, who originally wrote the lyrics and music, and what popular piece/group used the melody? (Hint: Elvis Presley)

“14 Songs That Rip Off Classical Music” from the UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yknBXOSlFQs

Practice: “Musical Dice”

A roll of the dice can lead to different pathways of music learning.

If you don’t have a dice, use this random number generator: https://www.random.org/dice/

Start off with a “scavenger hunt” of researching music. First roll is the row, second is the column. (SEE ABOVE GRAPHIC)

Then, try a simpler dice game for individual practice on your instrument, rolling only once:

Major or minor (alternate) scale and arpeggio
A band or orchestra warmup (long tones, tuning, etc.)
Slow lyrical section from your SHJO music (alternate)
Favorite piece (solo, school ensemble, or SHJO)
Fast passage from your SHJO music
Section of a memorized piece (solo, school or SHJO) OR play along with a recording

Create: “Musical Dice II”

This time, YOU create-your-own practice game with the dice!

Write down and number six musical objectives you have, short school or SHJO sections, technical exercises, or solo pieces you want to learn. Divide up each “goal” into gradually more challenging success levels – focus on different excerpts, more measures, faster speeds, add dynamics, phrasing, articulations, etc.

CLIP #7

Listen: “YouTube Kids Playlist”

Discover new online music videos!

Parents: Did you know you can set up a free account for “completely safe viewings” of YouTube media? Go to https://www.youtubekids.com/. Mr. Fox took an entire afternoon off perusing these recordings, a little something for everyone (a flute player, cellists, sax quartet, etc. who will “knock your socks off!”) The marble machine is just for fun… one link is a machine, the other a live band. What is “looping?” Registration may be required to access links:

Carnegie Hall 360 Video featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=YERHP5wp_zw
2CELLO Pirates of the Caribbean https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=Xj3gU3jACe8
Foo Fighters Meets 70’s Bobby Caldwell – Live Looping Mashup by Elise Trouw https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=Gl9GtO_vQxw
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift | From the Top & Time for Three Classical Cover https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=HlzEHobggRs
Wintergatan – Marble Machine (music instrument using 2000 marbles) https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q and the LIVE Band Version https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=F22DCvJ24Eg
Let It Go (Disney’s “Frozen”) Vivaldi’s Winter – The Piano Guys https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=6Dakd7EIgBE
Battle of the Alpine Horns https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=YEoFgDGuThY
The Rev Saxophone Quartet: Watermelon Man https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=OQq-trsg0W8 and J.S. Bach https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=q6lfdkBUmS0
Alex Christensen & The Berlin Orchestra – What Is Love feat. Carlotta Truman https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=B3zIhU4X4O0
Fanny joue “Badinerie” & “Le vol du bourdon” à la flûte traversière https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=8aUfQw6N1Vc
UCLA Marching Band Walk-through (start at the beginning for student leadership interviews, 13:13 for “a walk through the band sections”) https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=U4Ap2c7xigc

Share: “Whack-a-Note”

Name these notes… fast!

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/interactives/steprightup/whackanote/

Like “Easy Classical Music Games” in CLIP #6, teach someone basic notation… or just have fun with it yourself.

Create: “Song or Music Writing”

A Few “Basics” for Getting Started with Composing (sample websites)

Level 1: Writing a Melody https://www.musictheoryacademy.com/composing-music/writing-a-melody/
Level 2: How to Write a Song in 10 Steps https://mysongcoach.com/write-a-song-in-ten-steps/
Level 3: Composition for Dummies https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/music-composition-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
Level 3: 15 Ways to Create Musical Ideas & Crush Creative Block https://www.edmprod.com/15-ways-to-generate-ideas/

Inspire: “Music Exploration and Reflections”

Maintain a journal to keep track of your work.

(SEE ABOVE GRAPHIC – Special thanks to the Greeley-Evans Weld County School District 6 for sharing their music grades 6-12 materials.)

First, download the original, full-size two-page document (so that the links will work with “click and go”) from the SHJO.clips page: http://www.shjo.org/clips. (Word file is best so you can write on it; if needed, this PDF version is also available: SHJO Music Exploration).

The grid on the second page will allow you to write down your progress, time spent, and reflections.

You act as your own music teacher – seeking out ways to enrich yourself with new knowledge of music.

Virtual/Remote/Alternative Music Ed

March 21, 2020May 24, 2020 paulkfox1 Comment

Resources for Teaching Music Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The dreaded messages came to almost every educator:

EMERGENCY ALERT:

Out of an abundance of caution relating to the prevention of spreading the coronavirus, beginning on _____, all after-school, extra-curricular, and outside group meetings and rehearsals are postponed until further notice.

* * *

Dear Students, Parents, and Staff:

All ______ school programs such as sports, band and jazz concert, spring musical, choir festival, dance and voice recitals, booster meetings and fund-raisers, and the music department adjudication trip, are cancelled.

* * *

Important announcement:

The spring concert scheduled for March 28 at the Performance Hall will not take place. A decision about whether to cancel this performance or postpone it to another date will be made as the community health situation continues to evolve.

And then, the Governor closed the schools for two to eight weeks (or more?).

Governor Wolf — Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf

Dear Families,

Thanks for your patience as we work through the events that have been occurring and planning for what lies ahead. We hope you and your family are staying well, and we know that many of you are looking forward to a Virtual Learning experience for your child.

We want to share some important information with all of you as we prepare this transition. While we do not know how long our buildings will be closed, we want to be prepared for ______ Virtual Learning for as long as it is necessary.

The immediate effect? Suddenly, our kids were sent home for an extra-early spring break, hopefully remembering to bring their instruments and music! Trying to “embrace” this world emergency (from a safe distance, of course), no one had a “crystal ball” to predict or even imagine the far-reaching effects, many of which we are still awaiting answers!

When will we be able to go back to school?
How can we collaborate, grow, and share our music learning, personal progress, repertoire and skills learned over the past year?
What will happen to everything all of us were forced to leave unscheduled, unfinished, or “in production?”
Will commencement be cancelled, too?
Worst yet, will our seniors fail to graduate, receive their diplomas, and start college on time next fall?

Every music teacher I know cried out, “How can I reach-out to my students to help them find alternative avenues to making music? The challenge is now thrust upon us to find ways to inspire our students to continue building on their “musical momentum” in daily practice, as well as stimulate other sources of artistic enrichment and the self-motivation to create new music goals.

My first act as a community youth director was to “fire up” my orchestra’s website and Facebook page. We regularly send out Fox’s Firesides of articles on practice tips, music problem-solving techniques, goal-setting, keeping a journal, developing teamwork, learning to conduct, acquiring college references, showing concert etiquette, etc. and other notices to the members and parents using a free-version of Mailchimp.

In addition, we launched something called SHJO.clips, low-tech but hopefully effective in “exciting” future music enrichment and exploration: online music games, worksheets, sample recordings and videos, practice excerpts, music theory exercises, sight-reading and ear training assignments, and much more… a treasure chest of FUN things-to-do or c.l.i.p.s. to do ON THEIR OWN: Create, Listen, Inspire, Practice, Share.

Archives of both Fox’s Firesides and SHJO.clips are available by clicking the menu at the top or visiting http://www.shjo.org/ (look under “resources”).

Are we permitted access to our students and classes online during the official closures? Does your school use Canvas or other virtual educational environments to hold digital classes, post learning activities, make assignments, provide feedback, and/or assess your students’ achievement? (Are you even allowed to do so? I cannot answer this essential question because I do not know school law and I retired from the public schools in 2013.)

Are you one of the “lucky ones” who had previously set-up either the Smartmusic or MusicFirst online platforms (and the students know how to use the it) and can continue encouraging your band instrumentalists, string players, or vocalists to sight-read, practice, explore new literature, perform, record, and assess themselves?

Do you and your students need cheering up with a “pep-talk” by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, the famous “music educator’s guru,” guest speaker and expert motivator often presented as the kick-off keynote session at music conferences. “Dr. Tim” challenges us all to focus on what’s important and how we can put our time to good use:

“Life is about 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

The pessimist sees the challenge in every opportunity, but the optimist sees the opportunity in every challenge.”

Set aside 17 minutes to recharge with this video. Then, share it with your students!

I am proud to admit that, in a single act, our profession has so far risen to the occasion. In an effort to help our “stranded” programs and motivate music educators and their students, so many tech experts jumped into the fray to post their recommendations and resources. At the end of this blog-post is a (very long) list of links from them, at least active as of today, for distance learning strategies and virtual music education.

https://www.pmea.net/council-for-ttrr/

We have taken the time to compile many of these suggestions and warehouse them on the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention website here. Look under the heading “Virtual Music Learning – Engaging Students During the Break.” This is the impetus for this article. The samples provided below (probably only the “tip of the iceberg” and already out-of-date) are by no means all-comprising and fully comprehensive. With every minute of the day dragging on during this crisis and we are still “shut in” our homes away from our music students, new solutions are being posted to Facebook groups like Music Educators Creating Online Learning.

Click here if you would like a printable PDF file of this revision of resources.

Take the time to research what might work for you. At the very least, pass on the music games and puzzles offered at sites like Music Tech Teacher or Cornerstone Confessions. Venture into learning new apps like Zoom.com for webinar/meeting management.

Music does make a difference in all of our lives… and we need to keep our musicians and singers “at it” even during this catastrophe!

Best wishes to you and yours. Stay safe and healthy! Thank you for your dedication and contributions to music education!

(Editor’s Note: We have continued adding many more updates to the list below at the website of the PMEA Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention accessible from this link.)

PKF

Sources of Online Music Media and Instruction

Virtual Learning Resources – Ideas from NAfME Members for Music Educators https://nafme.org/my-classroom/virtual-learning-resources-for-music-educators/
“App”lying Music Skills: Rethinking Technology for Assessment and Creativity – and other previously recorded PMEA webinars https://www.pmea.net/webinars/
Elisa Janson Jones https://www.elisajanson.com/ and https://www.musicedmentor.com/blog
Facebook Group – Music Educators Creating Online Learning https://www.facebook.com/groups/242289003466971/
Blogs by Michelle Rose https://themusicalrose.com/category/technology/
BANDing Together Webinar by Lesley Moffet https://zoom.us/webinar/register/rec/WN_yirPclmUR2yRGjExSyzvpA?meetingId=5MdYHaDK9T5IerP8xUGCB5EEF7z-T6a81HRIrPBbyRsyZjuCTJasj4GPTx1THcgQ&playId=7MJ8dO38_T83HYaT5ASDUfd9W9S8fPms0XBI8_RezUe1AiMCNgf3M-dBZuPuembrWvU6uKsFdMAM_C5Z&action=play
G Suite Music Theory Curriculum by Nicole Laborte https://nicolelaborte.wordpress.com/2020/03/15/g-suite-music-theory-curriculum/?fbclid=IwAR2lCakxjLAQOCrY7zOzeVSrOnQxuWY1rqxoFuMedi-346Rf6hyvP3D0C44
Online Tools for Teaching Music (Google Doc – sharing) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vrwLVQGDFuhK7RyMyz5m5FuG6NvaHfOW9DcrT0AK9-k/edit?fbclid=IwAR1fIIfxb7bhe7XoKp3Ckt-WEqb94TvIQbT-c3Lcuvh03z6Br7v0uM9cujs#heading=h.3xzpu7fohtt2
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2018/03/10-good-educational-websites-for-music.html
Great Apps, Games, and Websites for Music Ed https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/great-apps-games-and-websites-for-music-education
MusiView’s 15 Best Music Education Websites https://musiview.com/15-best-website-music-education/
EMEA Music Websites for Students http://www.emeamusic.org/music-education-websites.html
MTNA Websites for Kids https://www.mtna.org/MTNA/Learn/Parent_and_Student_Resources/Websites_for_Kids.aspx
How to Engage Students Utilizing Music Education Tools & Technology https://musiceducation.arts.ufl.edu/resources/how-to-engage-students-through-music-education/
Google Tools & Activities for Music Education by Eric Curtis https://www.techlearning.com/news/google-tools-and-activities-for-music-education
Christopher Bill Guide to Remote Music Education https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SoERjaLMA1Tro1FTf5i8iLckaL03bL8Xuugr7el77Iw/mobilebasic
Music Tech Teacher by Karen Garrett http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm
Teaching Online Lesson Basics 101 by Susanna Sonnenberg https://paulfox.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/teaching-online-lesson-basics-101.pdf
During Coronavirus, a Teacher Describes the Scramble to Go Digital by Carly Berwick https://www.edutopia.org/article/during-coronavirus-teacher-describes-scramble-go-digital and other Edutopia.com posts at https://www.edutopia.org/
Resources for Teaching Online Due to School Closures by Kathleen Morris https://www.theedublogger.com/teaching-online-school-closures/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10_tips_for_parents_teaching_young_children_at_home&utm_term=2020-03-17
AEP Partner Resources for Serving the Arts Education Field in the Time of COVID-19 https://www.aep-arts.org/covid-19-resources/
Noteflight Distance Learning Resources by John Mlynczak https://notes.noteflight.com/distance-learning-support/
Modern Band Play-Along Videos, Chord Charts, Diagrams, and How-To Videos from the team at Little Kids Rock https://www.littlekidsrock.org/jamzone/
Nontraditional Music Instruction: Environmental Percussion by Mrs. Dennis https://musicwithmrsdennis.blogspot.com/2020/03/nontraditional-music-instruction.html
WARRENMUSIC Tutorials on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenmusic
Band Scoring Sheets and Exercises by Matthew Provino (under “Band Cave”) https://svms-hlpusd-ca.schoolloop.com/band
The United States Army Field Band Instructional Video Series https://www.armyfieldband.com/education/instructional-video-series
Society for Music Theory Teaching Resources and Videos https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oi0jxL1Eo7anc523qcyaHA5NIeV_YKipiInbqHY3I1M/edit#gid=417689111
Letter from a Fellow Remote Teacher by Anthony Granata https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/letter-from-a-fellow-remote-teacher/ and other SmartMusic blogs https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/
Resources for Choral Professionals During the Pandemic https://acda.org/ACDA/Resources_for_Choral_Professionals_During_a_Pandemic.aspx
ASTA Teaching Resources/Update: COVID-19 https://www.astastrings.org/Web/Resources/Update__COVID-19.aspx
Teaching Music Online with Zoom by Simon Powis https://theonlinemusicteacher.com/teaching-music-online-with-zoom/
Music Service Learning by Marci Major (West Chester University/F-Flat Books) – General Information: https://fflat-books.com/musicservicelearning/?fbclid=IwAR09-qeJS9AhPU4xvpv0vz_al9tlNNPOzPgAZ9kwyqAxhTOZRnzPwCql3Cc
Music Service Learning by Marci Major (West Chester University/F-Flat Books) – Volunteer Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5LY-1J8RsmxxrVL5KEluCeRxMA-fZpKtNSBiy8xA1odTpEQ/viewform
Music Service Learning by Marci Major (West Chester University/F-Flat Books) – Request Project Help Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5LY-1J8RsmxxrVL5KEluCeRxMA-fZpKtNSBiy8xA1odTpEQ/viewform
Teaching Music Online: Strategies and Resources by Sarah Gulish (F-Flat Books) https://fflat-books.com/teaching-music-online-strategies-and-resources/
Webinar for Online Learning by NAfME and NAMM https://youtu.be/CSUaMeIyCVc
Comparing & Contrasting FREE Platforms & Procedures for Online Music Instruction by Bradley Mariska, Scott Agster, Erin Holmes, and Heidi Stodola https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yQkpa7yVXRVXNNtchiS7_unIXgv5crvGiLMYlF7yYXA/preview?fbclid=IwAR0hQ53O3gsGFK6dVF_SHT_eM8hVDNR wH8TPEgC2t-LLx-XMqow0yNdfEoI
Compilation of Online Teaching Resources for Music Educators by Keith Hodgson https://www.dropbox.com/s/nb68bplz46fmvw0/ONLINE TEACHING RESOURCES.PDF?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR1siEGvS6DPQKyA630TIfk4mTAr9pymqhSzMG-iWtSKqO93gmU9He0ax_Y
Ultimate List of Online Music Games by Kathy Gossen https://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2012/08/the-ultimate-list-of-online-music.html?fbclid=IwAR06uxDzntYEs9l89Wwx14VuRSJcbYE7prIBzR6i26jvSUbE0s_MAwbg8-Q
What to Do When You Practice by Scott Sheehan https://drive.google.com/open?id=13Ltjf3_sqgHi-bSCPU28EfsDCtE7EFrk
NAfME Music Educators Journal Articles Applicable to Online Music Learning https://nafme.org/community/elearning/free-nafme-academy-webinars/
NAfME Music in a Minuet (new article) “Music Teaching Resources for School Closings” by Elizabeth Caldwell https://nafme.org/music-teacher-resources-school-closures/
SmartMusic Offer of FREE Subscriptions (until June 30) https://www.smartmusic.com/
Music Prodigies on YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/psprodigies
Ideas to Deal with Coronavirus and Distance Learning for Ensembles (and Conducting Class) by the College Band Directors National Association https://www.cbdna.org/ideas-to-deal-with-coronavirus-and-distance-learning-for-ensembles-and-conducting-class
Virtual Learning: Taking Your Choir Rehearsals Online by Tori Cook https://blog.chorusconnection.com/virtual-learning-taking-your-choir-rehearsals-online
VAPA Distance Learning and Online Resources from the California Arts Council https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/117RcF-eZuV4Vdt_yWUyn8UVrsddrrOBV
“App”lying Music Skills: Rethinking Technology for Assessment and Creativity in the Classroom” PMEA WEBINAR on March 24, 2020 by Kristy Piper https://www.pmea.net/webinars/
Distance Learning Resources for Music Educators from Teaching with Orff https://teachingwithorff.com/distance-learning-resources-for-music-educators/
Teaching Elementary Music Online/Distance Learning/COVID-19 (Frau Musik) https://fraumusik.com/2020/03/13/teaching-elementary-music-online-covid19-distance-learning/
MusicFirst COVID-19 Special Training Blogs/Videos https://www.musicfirst.com/about-us/blog/training-webinars-march-2020/
Technology Lesson Plans, Presentations, and Books by Dr. James Frankel http://www.jamesfrankel.com/
MusicFirst Podcast: Profiles in Teaching with Technology by Marjorie LoPresti https://soundcloud.com/musicfirstpodcast/musicfirst-profiles-in-teaching-with-technology-s2-e14-marjorie-lopresti
The Cloud: Empowering Developing Sight Singers from Choral Director https://www.choraldirectormag.com/articles/performance/the-cloud-empowering-developing-sight-singers/
Surfing Web-Based Music Software from Choral Director https://www.choraldirectormag.com/articles/technology/surfing-web-based-music-software-2/
The 6 Best Places to Learn Music Online by Jamie Ehrenfeld https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-6-best-places-to-learn-music-online
Get Started Making Music https://learningmusic.ableton.com/
Classics for Kids from Cincinnati Public Radio https://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers.html
Teaching Music Remotely by Jennifer Bailey https://singtokids.com/teaching-music-remotely
MusicEd Blogs https://musicedblogs.com/
Making Your Own Music with Noteflight (example) YouTube by Melody Quesada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6gOh6-XqKE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2A9GX8I6O4j8tPO8cqHbuWYInxZqrNzL4CY0sVrxahZctA_5d1XdfpRk4
House Concerts – A Legacy of Music in Our Home https://concertsinyourhome.org/
The Definitive Guide to Throwing a DIY House Show by Evan Zwisler https://flypaper.soundfly.com/hustle/the-definitive-guide-to-throwing-a-diy-house-show/
How to Host an Online Concert by Anna Ditommaso (AudioTheme) https://audiotheme.com/blog/host-online-concert/
Connect with Fans Around the World (Vimeo) https://livestream.com/solutions/music
How to Put on a House Concert and Host Them Successfully by Liam Duncan https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/how-to-put-on-a-house-concert-and-host-them-successfully-a-guide-for-musicians/
Zoom in “Music Mode” by Jim Daus Hjernøe https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=50NoWIiYECA&feature=youtu.be
How to Use “Breakout Rooms” in Zoom meetings by Jim Daus Hjernøe https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TKOUl_6WVJE
Using Zoom for Music Lessons by Andrew Williams https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HXdif33umD0
Mock Virtual Band Rehearsal by Michelle Rose https://www.facebook.com/ michellew92/videos/ 10162988784645244/
Mock Virtual Choir Rehearsal by Michelle Rose https://www.facebook.com/ michellew92/videos/ 10162982619670244/
Play Along with Brian Balmages (Smartmusic) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10222360663628172&set=a.1279662994404&type=3&theater&ifg=1
Google Forms for Playing Test Submissions by Sarah Moulder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjny8KZI0xA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3V2Kl58RAImtG9HPkUzrplTFTWmq7DoObG24sNLYeAoj7bTMTVGFx8j20
Technology in Music Education (TI:ME) Lesson Plans https://www.ti-me.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=25&Itemid=1625
Teaching Music Online by Aaron Booz https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kYc_mfh0s2fzibfjPAi0ZQ38Pc1ftqrsf-fUc0bVpyE
Teaching Arts Online https://www.pmea.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teaching-Arts-Online.pdf
Teaching Online Lesson Basics 101 by Susanna Sonnenberg https://www.pmea.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Teaching-Online-Lesson-Basics-101.pdf

Photo credit from Pixabay.com: “child-play-game-technology-3264751” by ExplorerBob

Stressed Out?

February 13, 2020May 5, 2020 paulkfoxLeave a comment

More Remedies for Reducing Teacher Stress & Burnout

Welcome back to our series on music teacher (and other professionals) self-care.

First, as presented in this insightful article by Chris Mumford, we confirm the notion that “stress is inevitable,” but “how you respond to it can spell the difference between a long, rewarding career or one cut short by burn-out.” Based on new research, he offers some surprising (and even counter-intuitive) techniques to better deal with it, including these “9 Stress Management Strategies Every Teacher Needs to Know.”

Breathe (properly)… When you’re experiencing intense levels of stress, breathe in deeply (put your hands on your stomach and feel it expand out), for four seconds, then exhale evenly for four seconds. Keep this up for two-three minutes for maximum effect.
Embrace the stress… Viewing your stress in constructive ways [reframing] will actually cause your body to respond to it differently and prevent long-lasting physical damage.
Be imperfect… Teachers are often prone to perfectionism and its ill effects: they often feel that they aren’t doing enough, or that their mistakes are magnified because of the importance of their job. If you find yourself feeling this way, fight back.
Practice emotional first aid… Do you beat yourself up when you experience failure or make a mistake? [Find] ways to break the negative patterns of thought.
Be grateful… We have to stop, quiet our minds, and create “stop signs”—little reminders of things that we should be grateful for every day.
Limit “grass is greener” thinking… You will have challenges anywhere you go.
Work smarter, not harder… Find ways to delegate some of your work, or invest in tools or technologies that will make your life easier.
Ask for help… doesn’t make you weaker, it makes you better at your job.
Make a connection… When you connect with another person, your body produces oxytocin, which is a chemical that helps repair the heart. If you help your neighbors, family, etc., you’re much less likely to experience the negative effects of stress.

Just Breathe… According to the Navy SEALS!

The calming, deep-breathing practice (#1 above) can be learned by reviewing a host of resources, including the book Maximizing Your Human Potential and Develop the Spirit by former Navy SEAL Mark Divine, as well as these websites:

Examples of two different NAVY SEALS breathing exercises advise us on how to reach a more relaxed state:

TACTICAL BREATHING (to alleviate “fight or flight” tension)

Place your right hand on your belly, pushing out with a big exhale. Then breathe in through your nostrils, slowly drawing the breath upward from your belly to your upper chest.

Pause and exhale, starting from your chest and moving downward to the air in your belly. Imagine your belly button touching your spine.

Once you’re comfortable with a full, deep breath, repeat it, this time making the exhale twice as long as the length of the inhale. For example, inhale to the count of four, pause briefly, and exhale to the count of eight. Repeat three times.

— Stephanie Vozza

BOXED BREATHING (to help ground you, sharpen concentration, and become more alert and calm)

Expel all of the air from your lungs
Keep them empty for four seconds
Inhale through your nose for four seconds
Hold for a four count (don’t clamp down or create pressure; be easy)
Exhale for a four count
Repeat for 10-20 minutes

— Reuben Brody

Mind Over Matter

Our own minds may be our own worst enemies. Have you read the insightful article “Sustaining the Flame – Re-Igniting the Joy in Teaching Music” by Karen Salvador in the December 2019 issue of Music Educators Journal? She offers research-supported strategies for nurturing courage, peace, and resilience as well as suggested habits of thinking and action. Samples of “cognitive distortions,” a term of which I had never heard previously defining “irrational beliefs,” is addressed by “reframing” our inner voice during specific incidents of emotional distress.

Her common examples of cognitive distortions include the following. Do any of these sound familiar?

Disqualifying (discounting) the positive events
Jumping to conclusions
Filtering (focusing entirely on the negative elements of a situation)
Double standard (placing unreasonable/unattainable expectations for ourselves)
Personalizing (or “taking something personally”)
Polarized (placing people or situations in unrealistic “either or” categories)

Additional recommendations by Nicole Stachelski for combating stress and burnout are listed in the article:

Laugh with your students
Eat your lunch (take a break or enjoy social time)
Schedule regular physical activity
Drink more water (and visit the bathroom as needed!)
Prioritize your work and set boundaries
Keep a consistent bedtime
Delegate – don’t be afraid to ask for help
Focus on what’s really important

More Ideas — Just Pick One!

Take a gander at this excellent Scholastic.com teacher blog-post by Nancy Jang summarizing “15 Ways to Reduce Teacher Stress.” Can you try at least one new strategy this week that resonates with you and your life?

Close the door during prep time.
Make a SHORT and DOABLE “Must Do” and “May Do” lists.
Delegate items to parent volunteers.
Lay out your outfit and prepare your healthy lunch the night before.
Get a full eight hours of sleep.
Don’t correct every piece of paper.
Work out!
Get up early!
Stay away from negativity.
Don’t take things home.
Plan time every week/day to enjoy something that is not remotely related to teaching.*
Learn something new.
Plan a trip.
Don’t over-commit.
Take ten minutes a day and mediate.

*Probably one of my own worst habits was not modeling number 11 above. No matter how busy you are with your daily in-school teaching and extra-curricular music/coaching activities, the full recommendations are important to consider:

Spend time with your family and friends, travel, work on your garden, read for pleasure, take a hike. Learn how to turn off being a teacher. Balancing your time to just be YOU (not the teacher you) allows you to be renewed and have more mental energy for your students.

— Nancy Jang

A few more ideas are offered by Jennifer Gunn in her blog-post from Concordia University “How Educators Can (Really, Honestly) Unplug – And How Stress Affects Us.” As always, it is suggested that you read the entire article at the link provided.

Practice mindfulness
Get a change in scenery
Focus on some serious self-care
Make plans with friends
LOL
Unplug, literally
Schedule your work time and your fun time

Balance

In almost every health and wellness article, we hear the emphasis of prioritizing and seeking a more equitable use of personal time, achieving what Ernie Zelinski, author of the best-selling book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, refers to as “work/life balance.” Future blogs on samples of “super stress reducers” in “setting boundaries,” time management, and innovative organizational tools will be forthcoming.

Several books are also recommended readings for addressing the issues of teacher health and wellness. We have already reviewed several of these. More to come.

Our next journey to an in-depth look at music educator self-care will explore more fully TEACHER BURNOUT. To stay up-to-date on past and future articles, publications, and workshop presentations on this topic, be sure to revisit the “Care” section of this blog-site.

Resources

“15 Ways to Reduce Teacher Stress.” by Nancy Jang at Scholastic
“9 Stress Management Strategies Every Teacher Needs to Know” by Chris Mumford at HeyTeach
Exhausted by Paul Murphy
Fewer Things Better by Angela Watson
“Here, Have a Secret Breathing Technique From a Navy SEAL” by Reuben Brody at InsideHook
“How to Reduce Stress Like a Navy SEAL” by Michael Finn at Gear Patrol
“How Educators Can (Really, Honestly) Unplug – And How Stress Affects Us” by Jennifer Gunn at The Blog by Concordia University/Portland
I Love My Job But It’s Killing Me by Lesley Moffat
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie Zelinski
“Sustaining the Flame – Re-Igniting the Joy in Teaching Music” by Karen Salvador in NAfME Music Educators Journal, December 2019
The Weekend Effect by Katrina Onstad

PKF

Photo credits (in order) from Pixabay.com

“laptop-woman-education-study-young” by Jan Vašek
“stress” by johnhain
“stress-despair-burden” by Davidqr
“boat-teamwork-training-exercise” by skeeze
“mental-health-wellness-psychology” by Wokandapix
“stress-relief-help-sign-relax” by Pete Linforth
“meditate-meditation-peaceful” by Pexels
“handstand-beach-sea-ocean-sand” by MatanVizel
“wooden-train-toys-train-first-class” by Couleur

Cultivating a Precious Gem: Engagement

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019 paulkfoxLeave a comment

What do SHJO, Gerardo Parra and the “Baby Shark” theme, and the concepts of collaboration and teamwork have in common?

[Artistic Director’s message spoken at the fall concert of the South Hills Junior Orchestra on November 10, 2019… appropriate to all performers, teachers, and parents.]

Have you had a reason to ask yourself recently, “What am I thankful for?”

Hopefully you can reflect on many things… Your family, friends, health, success, and happiness may instantly come to mind.

How about the privilege of membership in a “musical team” – valuable enrichment provided by both your school program (in which all of our pre-college students should participate) and community groups, like the South Hills Junior Orchestra (SHJO).

One does not have to look far to confirm the benefits of music education and fulfillment of personal creative self-expression. Numerous articles and statistics point to the rewards of “making music” and regular collaboration in a performing ensemble:

“20 Important Benefits of Music in Our Schools” https://nafme.org/20-important-benefits-of-music-in-our-schools/
“The Necessity of Music Education” by Antonio J. García https://www.garciamusic.com/educator/articles/necessity.music.ed.html
“Music Lessons: The Importance of Music Education for Children” by Leah Lefler https://wehavekids.com/education/Music-Lessons-The-Importance-of-Music-Education-for-Children

I even tried “wrapping my arms” around a definition of this “calling” (one that I have spent my entire life sharing) in a blog-post which features a community TV interview of me by SHJO musician Sam D’Addieco: https://paulfox.blog/2019/06/16/the-importance-of-music-education/.

I do feel thankful! I am grateful to have been granted this opportunity of conducting SHJO and interacting, teaching, and learning alongside our gifted and enthusiastic instrumentalists! These experiences and memories are “priceless” and “fragile,” just like a rare jewel or crystal. I complain for more members (we’re small and turnout has not always been good), but I am also reminded of a comment from my own inspirational school orchestra and string teacher, Mr. Eugene Reichenfeld, who was often heard to say: “Our orchestra may be small, but it is precious – just like a diamond!”

I say, we must cultivate the future of this special musical experience!

Don’t take it for granted! This unique “mosaic of members and music, where all musicians learn, grow, and lead” will only continue if YOU commit consistent time, focus, attendance, and practice. Success relies on your full engagement to SHJO. We need the players, booster officers, parents, and other adult volunteers to join forces!

The other day, I watched on CBS This Morning an interview of World Series Champion Washington National’s star outfielder Gerardo Parra (https://www.cbsnews.com/video/gerardo-parra-on-how-baby-shark-became-the-nationals-anthem/) who is credited for helping to turn things around for the team. Although he may be remembered more for giving the Nationals a new anthem, “Baby Shark,” (chosen by his baby daughter), Parra discussed why he was concerned that the other players on the team did not seem “engaged” and stay afterwards in the clubhouse (some paraphrased below):

Parra: “Wow, what a team we have,” and referring to the regular season, “But, even after we won, no one was there to celebrate in the clubhouse.”
Anthony Mason: “A lot of people credited you for turning around the team culture.”
Parra: “It’s more important for my team that we start in the clubhouse… we dance in the clubhouse.”
Gayle King: “But you started that hurrah. You said everybody used to leave and then you said no, everybody, let’s stay! One person came, then one person came, and another person came…”
Parra: “Everybody like family. We’re one team, not 25 men.”

When he joined the team in May, Washington was a team with a losing record of 33-38 and 8½ games out of first place in the National League East. Parra himself was mired in a 0-for-22 slump. That’s when he chose “Baby Shark” and got his team motivated! In their last 100 games, the Nationals won 75. Sure, they have amazingly gifted and hardworking players, but what was the cornerstone of their victory? Their teamwork, “power of collaboration,” empathy for each other, and unified sense of purpose! This is just what the doctor ordered for the 37th season of SHJO, and all similar youth or community groups. We need to develop more teamwork, collaboration, and engagement, too!

Thanks, kudos, and bravos go to all musical caregivers and participants for caring, giving, and sharing, and especially uniting together as a team. What really matters to me the most? As I told Sam in the interview, I truly cherish those “ah-ha” moments of realization we see in our musicians’ eyes when they “get it” and reach a new pinnacle of success or mastery of their artistry! I also love observing many peers-helping-peers, multi-generational teamwork, partnerships of musical leaders and followers in the ensemble, and numerous “random acts of kindness” every Saturday morning.

“My” SHJO remains the single most motivating and meaningful event of my week!

Let’s all celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving!

PKF

(For more information about SHJO, please visit www.shjo.org.)

This and all Fox’s Fireside blog-posts are free and available to share with other music students, parents, directors, and supporters of the arts.

Click here for a printable copy of Cultivating a Precious Gem – Engagement.

Other “Fox Firesides” are available at https://paulfox.blog/foxs-firesides/.

Photo credit from Pixabay.com: “Pumpkin” by Lolame

Is Your Job Killing You?

October 6, 2019May 5, 2020 paulkfox1 Comment

Book Review: I Love My Job But It’s Killing Me – The Teacher’s Guide to Conquering Chronic Stress and Sickness by Lesley Moffat

Have you read this “International Bestseller” written by a band director?

Where was this when I was still teaching full-time, managing a crazy 24/7 schedule of music teaching and administration, fulfilling a myriad of self-assigned extracurricular activities like band, choir, strings, fall play, spring musical, adjudications and festivals?

How many of you struggle to

Fall and stay asleep?
Avoid “brain fog” and exhaustion brought on by stress?
Alleviate (or ignore) aches and pains or illnesses that interfere with your work?
Reclaim and maintain enough energy to support your work and family life.
Resolve feelings that your life is falling apart or you are “burned-out?”

Well, instead of sitting around and whining about your hectic schedule or other challenges in your life, ruining your health, mood, and relationships with your family, friends, and students, or “throwing in the towel” and giving up altogether… take a look at this comprehensive guide to walk you through the problem — “baby steps” towards a complete self-care plan — providing assessments and action plans towards better personal health and wellness.

This blog provides a few highlights from Lesley Moffat’s work. You owe it to yourself to break down and buy this inexpensive and easy-to-read paperback! Although it is meant for individuals who are serious about starting a comprehensive self-improvement project, this book is not long nor laborious! With a supposed “read time” of 132 minutes (according to the back cover), I would devote probably a couple weeks to thoroughly consume it. For even more clarity, I have even taken to reading sections of it to my wife, also a retired music teacher! Both of us have “been there” in coping with many of the issues of job-related stress and life-style choices.

The Why — Chapter 12: “Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First” (Page 109)

After a quick scan of the first couple chapters, I recommend jumping to Chapter 12 to absorb the priority of “me first” in order to be able to care for others. I love the airline safety announcement analogy about “place the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others.” The central focus of her book, this is something I ignored for 35+ years.

You must take care of yourself. First. You can’t give what you haven’t got.

This is perhaps the hardest lesson of all, yet it is so important. Chances are you got where you are because you ran yourself ragged taking care of other people’s needs. I bet you never said no to requests to be on one more committee, drive carpool, watch a friend’s kids, and every other favor someone made of you, yet I’d also bet there’s a good chance you never take the time to take of your own needs. When was the last time you read a book for fun? Or went to a movie you wanted to see? Or pursued a creative endeavor that made you happy? Or any one of a million things you want to do? I bet it’s been a long time. — Lesley Moffat

Lesley Moffat’s website where you can order the book: https://squ.re/2TaXoAr

The Who — Chapter 3: “My Journey” (Page 15)

What an incredible story! Lesley Moffat gets personal and tells her own tale of total exhaustion, lack of mental focus (she calls ADHD), numerous aches and pains, arthritis, weight gain, bouts of illnesses like pneumonia, restless leg syndrome (a sleep disorder), and migraines, needed medical procedures like back surgery, hip replacement, bunion removal, etc. At times, her narratives are explicit and most graphic.

This profession is hard. Until my generation, women weren’t high school band directors, so there were no role models for me to look up to when I struggled with finding a balance between raising a family and having this career path. I had to learn things the hard way and make up my own solutions when there weren’t resources for me to use. My peer group is primarily men. How could my male band directing colleagues relate to my struggles? They may have kids, but they didn’t have to spend nine months making those babies while teaching (an exhausting combination that cost me a miscarriage during a band trip), and then pump breast milk during their planning periods to feed each of those babies for the first six months of their lives. And how many of them had to ask a spouse to make a ninety-minute drive with their newborn baby in the car behind the school buses where the band had to play for basketball playoffs so they could nurse the baby in the bathroom when they weren’t directing the band? — Lesley Moffat

The good news? Moffat reports that after a long and often discouraging search to restore her health and vitality and “to get back to the job I love,” today she has found peace, health, and happiness, and is back in the classroom with a renewed vigor, on her way to fulfilling her personal and professional goals.

The What — Chapter 4: “Let’s Get Started!” (Page 23)

Lesley Moffat introduces her mPower Method (and a perfection alliteration) of four key components: meals, movement, music, and mindfulness. She says it all starts with administering a self-evaluation called the Mojo Meter (sample of the 40 questions below):

I have a lot of aches and pains. T F
I often feel tired after eating. T F
My memory doesn’t seem to be as sharp as it used to be. T F
Other people have mentioned that I seem down, upset, or not myself. T F
I experience a lot of brain fog.* T F
etc.

*She describes examples of “brain fog” more than a dozen times throughout the book. Do you experience any of these symptoms?

Brain fog isn’t a medical condition itself, but rather a symptom of other medical conditions. It’s a type of cognitive dysfunction involving:

memory problems

lack of mental clarity

poor concentration

inability to focus

Some people also describe it as mental fatigue. Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. But it doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture in your life. — https://www.healthline.com/health/brain-fog

In her Mojo Meter assessment, if you answered “true” to 11 or more of these statements, then Moffat responds, “I know why you are here… It’s time to reclaim your health and energy, so get ready to amaze yourself.”

The How — Chapter 9: “SNaP Strategies” (Page 79)

If you want to change your life, first change your mindset. You can’t find opportunity when you are looking for excuses. — Anonymous

Moffat’s “My SNaP Strategies” (Start Now and Progress) will give the reader examples of ways to develop new skills by changing habits one step at a time. Some of my favorites:

Take a break from social media.
Seek out opportunities to compliment others.
Allow someone to go ahead of you in line at the store.
Set your alarm for nine minutes earlier and use those nine minutes to listen to an inspiring song.
Turn off notifications on your phone.

In addition, she urges you to “do the homework” and dive into her Action Plans at the end of most chapters.

Mojo Meter on Meal Planning — *I Love My Job But It’s Killing Me* Page 47: “mPower Method Mojo Meter for Meals”

More Sneak Peeks

Using the observations you made in the self-administered Mojo Meter forms, the end of Chapter 5 offers an extensive “plan” for evaluating and removing the foods to which you may be allergic. (See above assessment form.)
I can heartily endorse her suggestion of using a food journal in Chapter 5, keeping track of every food choice and “how it makes you feel.” My wife discovered her sensitivity to gluten, and removing it from her diet has made all the difference!
One of her funniest anecdotes described her first-days participating in a yoga class! (Chapter 6)
Do you have on-hand and regularly use specific self-designed music playlists for meals, exercise sessions, and getting ready for bed? (Chapter 7)
A simple definition (but not so easy acquisition) of “mindfulness” — “being fully present in the here and now.” (Chapter 8)
Check out her “advice for driving during rush hour” (Chapter 11), tips for staying calm during all stressful moments: slow down, simplify, sense, surrender, self-care.
On Pages 9 and 10, there are amazing “before” and “after” photos of the author!

Coda: Summary of Advice for Better Self-Care (Chapter 10)

Take deep breaths when you encounter speed bumps and stop signs during your daily commute.
Write a cover page to your syllabus outlining appropriate times and methods for parents and students to contact you.
Have a work space that is exclusively yours, including a “do not disturb” sign, closed door, and/or noise-cancelling headphones.
Talk to your boss about reasonable expectations, including how many after-school and evening events are anticipated.
Enlist the help of others (volunteers, boosters, etc.).
Start your mornings in a way that charges you up for the day.
Re-evaluate your work space and make changes changes that will be conducive for more efficiency.
Plan meals and make time to eat them.
Stay hydrated.
Incorporate time to upgrade yourself.
Ask yourself, “Does this choice align with who I am?”
Come up with a self-care plan that is sustainable.

This is just the “tip of the iceberg” analyzing pathways for improved health and wellness. We are thankful that Lesley Moffat was so bold and open about sharing her own journey. Everyone can “take home” the causation of being “sick and tired of being sick and tired” and wrap their arms around implementing new strategies towards a happier living!

Author’s Bio (excerpts from the book)

Now in her fourth decade as a high school band director, Lesley Moffat has worked with thousands of people, helping them not only achieve musical goals (including repeated performances at Carnegie Hall, Disney Theme Parks, Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and competitions and festivals all over the US and Canada), but also teaching them how to develop the long-term life skills they need to be successful in the world.

Lesley has been a presenter at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and WMEA Conferences, served on the board for the Mount Pilchuck Music Educators Association, and has been an adjudicator and guest conductor in the Pacific Northwest.

After completing her undergraduate degree at Indiana University, she returned to her roots and moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where she and her husband, George, raised their three daughters, all of whom were students in her high school band program. Fun fact: Lesley, George, all three of their daughters, and Lesley’s dad have performed at Carnegie Hall.

PKF

Photo credits (in order) from Pixabay.com

“bloodshot” by openclipart-vectors
“emergency mask” by openclipart-vectors
“checklist” by ijmaki
“poster” by PublicDomainPictures
“dialogue” by openclipart-vectors
“practice” by johnhain

Becoming a School Music Educator

September 19, 2019May 5, 2020 paulkfoxLeave a comment

[A quick summary, portions reprinted from the April 17, 2019 posting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/becoming-school-music-teacher-paul-fox/]

One of my goals after retiring from 35 years as an educator and administrator in the public schools was to reach-out to college music education majors and offer some tips and techniques for preparing for this honorable career.

I have assembled a library of blog-posts on a variety of topics at my website (https://paulfox.blog/), and invite you to peruse the section “Becoming a Music Educator” at https://paulfox.blog/becoming-a-music-educator/.

If you are a junior or senior in college, assigned to field experiences or student teaching, or a recent graduate or transfer looking for a job or otherwise unemployed, I hope I can help you!

Please review the following categorized outlines of links to articles and other resources.

Student Teaching

First stop: Tips on Student Teaching.

Also check out these past issues of PMEA Collegiate Communique:

“Secrets” for that First Year

Discounted NAfME + PMEA first-year membership: only $90. (If you are a recent college graduate in your first year of teaching, or if you are the spouse of a current or retired NAfME member, contact NAfME at 800-336-3768 or email memberservices@nafme.org) to find out if you qualify for a reduced rate.
PMEA Mentor or other state’s MEA support program for new teachers.
R3 = Retiree Resource Registry for PA music teachers.
PMEA Webinars.
NAfME Academy of numerous videos (only a $20 annual subscription).
Professional development credits just for reading an article in NAfME Music Educators Journal
Model Curriculum Framework (Have to be a PMEA member)
What a deal! PMEA summer conference as little as $30/person. Check out your own state’s MEA discounts and offers for collegiate members and new teachers!
Numerous helpful blog posts from NAfME Music in a Minuet and paulfox.blog.

Everything… Including the Kitchen Sink

Check out the online resources on the PMEA Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment, and Retention website, free/open to all music teachers. Especially take note of the supplemental links on a variety of topics posted here.

Job Seekers

A summary of my re-occurring themes on marketing your professionalism and a few “pet peeves” include the following:

Create a multi-media digital portfolio, video recording excerpts of your memorable solo, chamber, and ensemble performances, teaching experiences, and other opportunities you have had in working with children of all ages. To the interviews, bring both a printed version and jump drive (the latter to leave with the screening committee) of these artifacts and a list of your other activities, awards, accomplishments, mission/vision, transcripts, music education and class management philosophies, recommendations, etc.
Take the time to assemble “the stories of your life, work, and teaching experiences” (both successes and the “glitches” or “snags” along the way which you had to resolve) that demonstrate your competencies, relationships with students, personality traits, acquired skills, problem-solving, and maturity.
Bring to any employment screening your resume, business card, and an e-portfolio referencing a professional website which archives everything in #1 and #2 above.
Avoid one-word responses or short answers to most interview questions. Instead, seek ways to incorporate the anecdotes you have made ready at your fingertips (#1 above) that model those characteristics a prospective employer is seeking in a music teacher.
If you want to be the one “in control” of the possible jobs that may come your way, avoid marketing your skills as a “music specialist” (e.g. band director or elementary music teacher). Most degree programs prepare the students for teaching certification in “Music Grades Pre-K to 12.” If you are looking to expand your opportunities, don’t limit your capabilities or options upfront. You CAN teach all forms and levels of music!
Clean-up and curate your social media sites, treating your Facebook pages as another “personal branding resource.” Experts recommend that “your profile information should reflect integrity and responsibility… You should expand or add content that projects a professional image, shows a friendly, positive personality, demonstrates that you are well-rounded with wide range of interests, and models… great communication skills.” Source: https://paulfox.blog/2019/03/01/collegiates-clean-up-your-social-media/.
How to your get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice! How do you ace your interview? Practice, practice, practice! Put yourself through “mock interviews” and record and later assess your “performance.” Sample questions are posted at my blog-site.

Collegiates, welcome to the profession!

“Break a leg” at your employment interviews!

PKF

Photo credits in order from Pixabay.com:

“children-violin-street-instruments” by mochilazocultural or Angel Chavez
“Taiwan-guitar-girl-music-life” by catandway
“clarinet-musical-instrument-woodwind” by Couleur
“trumpet-slide-trumpet” by congerdesign
“big-band-musical-instruments” by KeithJJ
“maestro-conductor-orchestra-music by Mohamed Hassan
“woman-office-teacher” by jsoto
“music-kids-children-play-xylophone” by thedanw
“choir-church-sing-schonbrunn” by intmurr or Peter Markl
“wooden-train-toys-train-first-class” by Couleur.

Reference Letters: What To Do?

April 23, 2019May 5, 2020 paulkfoxLeave a comment

Reprinted from “A View from the Podium” (Upper St. Clair High School, 2015) for current South Hills Junior Orchestra members and other students seeking recommendation letters from their music teachers.

If you are requesting a letter of recommendation from any teaching staff member, administrator, minister, coach, or activity sponsor for college entrance, scholarships, awards, or job placement, please follow the instructions of your school counselor AND review/complete the steps below.

Do you have an updated “me-file” on your computer’s desktop? Maintain a bulleted list of accomplishments with dates. Scan archives of awards, programs, commendations, special honors, and significant assessments. This will become the basis for the creation of résumés or portfolios, and background for your college or employment essays.

In person, ask the teacher from whom you want the letter if he/she is willing to do this. This should be an adult in whom you have a great deal of trust and with whom you have had frequent contact. If you have any doubt or misgivings like “Does this professional like me?” or “Will he/she give me a fair rating?” – then you should ask someone else. If you are a current member of SHJO, anyone asking Mr. Fox should have no fear. He will tell you immediately if there is any problem in writing a positive letter.

In my opinion, if you choose the right person to do your letter, you can sign-off your rights to see it before submission to the institution. A student checking “yes” to waiving his/her access to/examination of the reference may look better to the evaluator. Although not required, some may send you a copy of it for your files. That is my standard practice.

Know your deadlines. BY WHEN do you need the reference letters or common app teacher recommendations?

As a courtesy to the writer (and modeling good preparation on your part), give at least two to three weeks’ notice (more is better). Remember: “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on the teacher’s part.” It would also be polite to “gently remind” the staff member about the final deadline of the recommendation (at least one weekend’s notice). For SHJO, one Saturday ahead of the final deadline would be ideal.

Unless it is an online application or digital reference, the individual requesting the recommendation should provide in advance a pre-stamped self-addressed envelope to be signed, sealed, and mailed directly to any school or organization.

To facilitate “anecdotal references” and confirm accurate data/details, email a mini-résumé of your achievements, particularly those things that can be mentioned in the letter. Try to complete as many of these as possible:

When did you first begin your musical (or other academic specialty) study? When did you join SHJO or other music group?
What classes, ensembles, and/or productions have you participated at school?
What music or academic leadership positions have you served (give specific dates)?
What are your outside activities?
What have you done as community service?
How are you unique? Describe yourself in three to five words.
What qualities or strengths have you exhibited that the staff member, from working with you, could corroborate in the letter?
Can you remember any funny or significant class or rehearsal anecdote that demonstrated growth in your musical technique, expressiveness, student leadership, “team” or ensemble building, or the 21st Century learning skills of creativity, communications, critical thinking, collaboration, and global understanding?
What is your planned major or minor in college, and how did your association with the staff member (his/her classes or activities) help you gain the experience, insight, or confidence to go into this field?

Good luck! PKF Revised 3/18/19

(For more information about SHJO, please visit www.shjo.org.)

This and all Fox’s Fireside blog-posts are free and available to share with other music students, parents, directors, and supporters of the arts.

Click here for a printable copy of Reference Letters: What to Do?

Other “Fox Firesides” are available at https://paulfox.blog/foxs-firesides/.

Photo credit from Pixabay.com: “Fireside” by pixeldust

Interviews

April 3, 2019May 5, 2020 paulkfoxLeave a comment

READY TO HIRE: Strategies to Land a Job

For all future music teachers everywhere, especially members of a PCMEA or NAfME collegiate chapter, we post these handouts from past NAfME and PMEA music teacher conference sessions, all moderated by Scott Sheehan, Immediate Past President of NAfME Eastern Division and Past State President of PMEA.

As a tradition at the annual state conference, the session “Ready to Hire: Interviewing Strategies to Land a Job” has offered “tried & true tips to assist promising music education majors with developing interviewing skills to successfully land their dream job.” One of the features of the clinic is the set-up of a “hot seat” where volunteer candidates are put through one or more questions in a “mock interview,” and then assessed on their “performance.” The guest panelists often distribute a “takeaway” with valuable tips on interview techniques and questions, and developing personal branding, networking, and marketing skills.

These suggestions are offered as a way to “practice” taking employment interviews.

Best wishes on your job search. Now go out there and “nail” the interview!

NAfME Biennial Eastern Division/PMEA State Spring Conference

April 4-7, 2019 in Pittsburgh, PA

Sheehan: Interview Session Handout

Metelsky: Interview Worksheet

Pearlberg: Ready to Hire Interview Strategies

Fox: Job Interview Playbook

Pennsylvania Music Education Association Annual Spring Conference

(various years)

Basalik: Ready-Set-Interview

Baxter: Music Interviews

Fox: A to Z Job Interview Checklist

Fox: Marketing Your Professionalism

Additional Resources

PMEA Job Board

NAfME:

Sullivan Interview Strategies that Work

Older blog-posts at this site:

Acknowledgments:

Sue Basalik

Howard Baxter

Marc Greene

Susan Metelsky

Alicia Mueller

Henry Pearlberg

Kathy Sanz

Scott Sheehan

Jill Sullivan

Lucy White

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

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