Out with the Old

While I’m not much for nostalgia, there are times that being nostalgic is appropriate – wedding, birthdays, first performance during which my mouth didn’t go bone dry. Some people are nostalgic about items that have sentimental value – family photographs, favorite stuffed animal as a child, first Commodore 64 computer. But, the Department of Music is excited to be “letting go” of our old Piano Lab and to see completion of Phase 1 of our new Digital Piano Lab.

The old lab consisted of a mix of old Yamaha Clavinovas and Korg digital pianos in various states of disrepair. Needless to say it was time to explore our options.

Through the generous support of  the students through their contributions to the Clarion University  TechFee, the Department of Music submitted a proposal for $18,000 to purchase 7 new Roland HP207 Digital Pianos.

Members of the University Technology Advisory Council (UTAC), Sam Puleio and the Office of Computing Services, and Dr. Joseph Grunenwald, President of Clarion University, graciously supported funding our proposal which led to the successful bid by western PA’s own Spotts Music Center. The Department of Music is very pleased to continue its long, successful relationship with the fine people at Spott’s. They have been very kind and helpful to us over the years, and we are looking forward to many more years of excellent service.

Last week, Mark Kephart, president/CEO of Spotts Music Center, and his crew delivered and installed the 7 new Roland pianos. These beautiful instruments not only sound fantastic (great sampled sounds!), they have several features that make them uniquely useful in an instructional piano lab environment, including the ability to easily “split” the full-sized, 88-key keyboard into two and have the instructor sit beside the student to model the correct performance behavior WITHOUT having any octave displacement (“Twin Piano Mode”). Also, each instrument has recording/playback capabilities and 2 USB ports so students can record themselves and self-evaluate outside of class, or the instructor can record an example (wav. or MIDI) that students can download and bring to class on a USB drive to play along. We are just beginning to explore the many ways in which these new instruments can improve piano instruction and learning at Clarion.

As stated, the installation of the 7 instruments was only Phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 will involve the installation of 7 additional instruments, bringing our Digital Piano Lab to a complement of  14  new Roland pianos. Like Phase 1, Phase 2 was proposed through the TechFee process, and will undergo a competitive review, judged against other proposals across Clarion’s campus. With any luck, our Phase 2 proposal will be funded, and the 2009-10 academic year will bring our new Digital Piano Lab fully online.

So, if you are an alumnus of the Department of Music, and have lasting, warm recollections of our old Piano Lab, I hope that you will forgive us for moving ahead into the 21st century. Just remember that even though musical instruments don’t last forever, fond memories do.

New Thinking

 

I just returned from the Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C). This conference draws close to 3000 teachers and administrators from Pennsylvania and across the country to share thoughts and approaches on the use and future of educational technology.  I had the good fortune to present at the conference again this year, but what I most enjoy about this conference is hearing and sharing ideas with so many intelligent, forward looking educators who see the integration of technology into our curricula vital to the success of our students in the future. I always bring back new ideas to introduce into my own teaching, and feel re-energized and excited about teaching.

I took a couple of important things from this conference – not directly but inferentially through the many different sessions that I attended:

1) Life-long learning is critical to success as an educator. I shared the session rooms experienced educators who have spent years honing their craft. These professionals could easily have chosen to use the same approaches that their teachers used with them, and as their teachers before, but by their presence at the conference, are looking finding new ways to engage and teach the familiar subjects.  Yes, I think we could agree that we all ended up “OK,” but will “OK be enough for our students to be successful in the jobs of the future; jobs that may not yet even exist? Like me, I expect many of them feel reinvigorated about teaching when they return to the classroom after the conference.

The Clarion music faculty tries to offer our students good models for life-long learning. We are actively engaged in research projects, present and participate in conferences and workshops, and perform in a variety venues throughout the sate and across the globe. We wish to demonstrate how important it is for professionals to remain active in their fields – not only through our words only, but through our actions, as well. Our students have opportunities to begin fostering this concept of professionalism and service to a broader community through active participation in one of our many student service organizations, and through attendance at many of the same conferences in which the faculty participates.

The concept of “student research” is becoming increasingly important across Clarion University. Students in the Department of Music are encouraged to develop research projects of their own. We wish to support students’ research efforts in any way we can. 

2) We must look forward and be creative in our approach to teaching if we want our students to be successful in their careers. I think many teachers would agree with the statement that students change from year to year. The student of today is quite different from the student of 10, 5, or even 1 year ago. They bring to the classroom experiences and skills that are unique to their generation. In short, they are NOT like us, the music faculty. So, we would be making a grave mistake if we attempted to teach these students in the same way we were taught as undergraduate students many years ago. We must find ways to engage these new students in content, pedagogy, and practice that will give them the tools and experiences to meet the changing needs of their own students. With education becoming more collaboration and communication driven, we must give our students the resources and experiences necessary to compete and succeed in their careers

Clarion music students experience  today’s technology throughout their coursework. Three year ago, when I first asked students to complete a wiki assignment, I was met with many quizzical looks and some expressed concern about the usefulness of the assignment. Of course, I explained my rationale (which itself is a valuable exercise for these future educators, as they may need to argue the same with their administrators).  Just last week, however, I was able to give my students an assignment to create a wiki about Art Songs/Lieder, without having to explain “why” or “how.” They now know the answers to these questions.

Whether it is creating interactive wikis, using the Internet for research and email and instant messaging for communication, blogging about concerts or self-reflections, or collaborating on a Google Doc, Clarion music students are “in tune” (sorry about that) with the application of technology in the classroom because it is being used routinely by Clarion music faculty and because our students are asked to use it as an integral part of their academic careers.  Only through good modeling and application of the technology will our students have the tools to function effectively in the classrooms of the future.

The music classroom of the future cannot fully be imagined. Will we be performing in hybrid acoustic and electronic ensembles? Will students rehearse and perform simultaneously online from remote locations?  Will there even be “music classrooms?” I do not know what the future of music education will look or sound like, and neither do our faculty members nor our students. However, I am confident that the variety of experiences Clarion music students have with emergent trends in education will allow them to be open to trying new instructional approaches as they arise, and that will, in turn,  offer them opportunities to grow personally and professionally throughout their careers.

Hitting the ground running!

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I used to enjoy “easing” into the start of a semester after a break. Nothing immediately pressing in classes, no administrative deadlines to meet, no immediate student needs; I could take a little time to work back into the normally hectic pace of daily activities around the Boyd. Not this year, however – 2009 has definitely rushed in!

The first week of classes, on January 17, we held the District 3 Choral Festival performance on campus, with our own Dr. Hank Alviani as guest conductor. And now, 2 weeks later, Clarion University and the Department of Music is co-hosting the District 3 Band Festival with the Homer-Center S.D. We are excited to welcome 165 students and directors from 32 school districts throughout the region. All of the events surrounding the Festival will be held in the department and the auditorium, with our Director of Bands, Dr. Hubert Toney, Jr., as guest conductor. Preparations are still ongoing, but I am confident the Festival will be a tremendous success! The final performance will be held January 31 at 2 p.m. in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium.

The new year also has brought significant change to the Department of Music. In January, we bid farewell to Dr. Marian Dura, who accepted a position as Director of the Master of Music Education program at Lebanon Valley College in PA. During her 4-year stay at Clarion she was an outstanding Music Educator and colleague, and will be missed by all. While Dr. Dura’s departure is a significant loss for the department, we wish her all the best in her new position.

Dr. Dura’s resignation left a vacancy in the leadership of the University Symphony Orchestra. I am pleased that music faculty member Mr. Russell Reefer agreed to take over directorship of the group. Mr. Reefer is an outstanding musician and a highly experienced music educator who undoubtedly will lead the ensemble toward a successful semester. If you are interested in performing as a member of the orchestra, please contact the Music Office at 814-393-2287, or email Mr. Reefer directly at rreefer@clarion.edu.

In early February, I will be presenting again at the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference (PETE&C) in Hershey, PA. This is Pennsylvania’s largest state-wide conference on educational technology use. Then, in April both Dr. Alviani and I will be presenting sessions at the annual PMEA conference in Valley Forge.

We are looking forward to a busy performance calendar, as well, highlighted by a performance by the Easterly Chamber Players on campus, March 29. The Easterly Chamber Players include two of our own faculty members – Dr. Paula Amrod, piano and Dr. Brent Register, oboe – as well as Smith Toulson, clarinet and Diane Gold Toulson, flute. Other performances to look forward to include the student Mooney Scholarship Audition performances on March 14, senior recitals by Rachel Bendal, trumpet (March 22) and Lance Jones, percussion (April 5), and a performance by our newly-formed faculty brass trio consisting of music faculty members Dr. Toney, trumpet, Dr. Stephen Johnson, euphonium, and me playing trombone (we don’t have a “catchy” or even an interesting name yet, so feel free to lend a few suggestions). Of course, our ensembles will be performing throughout the semester, so visit our Events Calendar for more information on all of the musical happenings in the Department of Music.

As you can tell, this already is a busy semester with much more in store. We hope that you can carve a little time from your own busy schedule to join us at one of the events, or to simply stop in and say “hi.” if you’re in the neighborhood. We’d love to see you!

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events 11/10-11/16

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from Monday, November 10 – Sunday, November 16, 2008

Fun With Music Day 2008

Music class when I was an elementary-aged student consisted of my classmates and me sitting in our hard seats and singing songs from an old, musty smelling music book. We didn’t stand (unless it was the Star Spangled Banner, of course!), we didn’t move, and we didn’t understand what all of the little ink blots on the page meant. In short, we learned very little about music, AND it wasn’t very fun! I missed out on all of the fun and exciting things about elementary music – moving to music and rhythms, singing something more than a melodic line, making and playing instruments, improvising and composing pieces of music, learning music notation. All of these things and more are what today’s elementary music educator’s can bring into a music classroom.

Partly because I missed out when I was in elementary school, and partly because I still see and hear of elementary music programs following the old “sit-and-sing” approach to elementary music education, I felt it important that the Department of Music attempt to show elementary students just how fun music can be. In 2006, I encouraged Dr. Marian Dura, our department’s elementary music specialist, to begin “Fun With Music Day” as an outreach to get area elementary children in grades K-5 excited about music. The first year was a great success and great fun, and we knew then that “Fun With Music Day” had to be an annual event.

Now in its third year, “Fun With Music Day” again will reach out to area children to get them excited about music and demonstrate how much fun learning music can be. This year’s “Fun With Music Day” will be held on Saturday, November 15 from 9 a.m.-noon in the Marwick-Boyd Fine Arts Center on the campus of Clarion University. The cost is $10 per child. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium, with pre-registration available online.

For more information or to register online, visit the Department of Music website at www.clarion.edu/music or telephone the Music Office at 814-393-2435. You also may contact Dr. Marian Dura at 814-393-2465 or mdura@clarion.edu.

Dress comfortably and be ready to move to the music!

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events 10/27-11/02

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from Monday, October 27 – Sunday, November 02, 2008

Student Senior Recitals

It’s always great to hear our students perform their Senior Recitals. They work so diligently for months and months, learning a great deal about their performance areas (and themselves!) in the process.

This weekend, on Sunday, October 26, we have two senior recitals being presented.

The first recital is soprano Michelle Hall at 3:30 p.m. Michelle is from Allegany, NY and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Vocal Performance with a concentration in Operatic Performance. The second is William Nelson, piano at 6:00 p.m. Bill is from Rural Valley, PA and hopes to begin his teaching career right after graduation.

Both events are in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium and a free and open to the public.

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events 10/20 – 10/26

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from Saturday, Oct. 20 – Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008

4th Annual CUP High School Choral Festival

On October 22 and 23, 2008 high school singers from from 10 area schools will meet in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium on the campus of Clarion University to participate in the 4th annual Clarion University High School Choral Festival, hosted by Clarion University’s Director of Choirs, Dr. Henry Alviani.  Each school’s choral ensemble will present a 20-minute concert with a critique period immediately following. Participants from all schools are seated in the audience during the performances, benefiting from each ensemble’s performance and critique. Each day’s activities will conclude with all groups singing The Irish Blessing together.

Participating in this year’s Choral Festival are:

October 22
Redbank Valley High School – Carrie McIntire, director
Clarion Area High School – Zac Covington, director
North Clarion High School – Christine Cohlhepp, director
Keystone High School – Fran Nesta, director
Rocky Grove High School – Jodi Hoover, director
Oil City High School – Steve Luxbacher, director

October 23
Clarion-Limestone High School – Tina Bennett, director
Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School – Kathy Larimer, director
Brookville High School – Patrick Tatman, director
Union High School – David Gibson, director

The event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, contact the Department of Music at 814-393-2287.

Symphony Orchestra – Wind Ensemble Concert

The Department of Music will present both the University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Marian Dura and the Wind Ensemble directed by Dr. Hubert Toney, Jr. in  concert on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. in the Marwick-Boyd Auditoirum. The afternoon’s concert will begin with the Symphony Orchestra performing Overture to Zampa by L.J. Ferdinand Herold, Leroy Anderson’s famous work The Typewriter, Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla by Mikhail Glinka, and conclude with Geroge Bizet’s Suite No. 1 from Carmen.

The second half of the performance features the Wind Ensemble in a concert titled “Fortress of the Rose.” Opening, the Wind Ensemble will perform Fanfare from La Péri by Paul Dukas, followed by Moderato quasi Marci from Serenade in D minor, op. 44 by Antonin Dvorak. Mark Camphouse’s A Movement for Rosa and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Rhosymedre follow. The afternoon’s concert concludes with Fortress of the Rose by Reber Clark.

The concert is FREE and open to the public. For more information, contact the Department of Music at 814-393-2287.