tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79919634279607307572024-02-20T00:37:34.957-08:00Thoughts of a String EducatorThoughts of a String EducatorOrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.comBlogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-31836055040500964132023-11-12T14:28:00.001-08:002023-11-12T14:28:27.021-08:00Computational Thinking and the Arts in a STEM EnvironmentI am looking forward to co-presenting Computational Thinking and the Arts in a STEM Environment with my colleague, Computational Science Instructor Bob Gotwals this week at the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools Professional Conference in Phoenix. Bob and I have enjoyed a great deal of dialogue on this topic over the past couple of years and first presented this session at the American String Teachers Association Conference in the spring of 2023. The talk at ASTA garnered a great deal of attention and enthusiasm from string educators of all levels. Additionally, I spent some time covering the topic with the Fine Arts instructors from NCSSM at our retreat at the opening of the school year. Again, there was great enthusiasm about the model and the possibilities contained therein. We are looking forward to presenting these ideas to colleagues from STEM institutions from around the country. We hope to see you at the session on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-2264676835898893282023-02-15T09:50:00.000-08:002023-02-17T04:11:58.037-08:00Core Philosophies II<div><div>At the recent Midwest Clinic in Chicago, December 2022, I had the opportunity to say a few words as part of a panel discussion on rehearsal philosophies in the orchestra classroom. As part of that brief talk, I mentioned that there are a number of core philosophies that I employ in my daily life and with my family and work. So, this is the second in a series of posts which outline some of those philosophies and give a little bit of background. I hope something here speaks to you.</div><div><br></div><div>First, I would just briefly say that these philosophies serve as guideposts in my life and leadership. They give me a solid foundation to use as I plan my strategies for navigating family life, work, relationships, personal ethics and integrity, and other elements of my daily life. Also, they provide a solid foundation for moments that are trying and difficult. It is so easy to waiver in difficult times. Having clearly articulated core philosophies is a great way to mitigate snap decisions that are regretted later. They are effectively a set of glasses through which to view the world. They make things just a little bit more in focus. When core philosophies are neglected, things can feel disorienting and uncomfortable. So, these are some of my guideposts.</div></div><div><br></div><div><b>Find a Way to Say Yes</b></div><div>Several years ago, I sensed that I was losing some of the joy that I had found in my work in prior years. I began seeking some answers for this changed perspective. I read a lot of books and sought the advice and perspective of many trusted friends. After a great deal of thought and consideration, I realized that I was encountering the many requests and tugs on my time with a negative attitude and approach. I had fallen into the pattern of starting by looking for reasons to say <b>no</b> as opposed to seeking reasons to say yes. I knew at my core that this was a dead end road. It felt like the beginning of what other people call burnout. I knew that this was not something I wanted to experience in any way at all. So, that summer, I decided to adopt a stated philosophy of doing my best to find a way to say yes to every request that came my way. Sometimes it's easy to say yes. We quickly see the value and purpose behind the requests that people make of our time and energy. Other times, it isn't so easy. In those times, it is appropriate to take a few minutes or hours or days to think about how an answer of yes might be achieved where everybody is fulfilled by the investment of time and energy. This might require an alternate recommendation or another way of approaching the problem. But in the end, it feels so much better when I start with an attitude of yes and find ways to honor those requests on my time.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Servant Leadership</b></div><div>This concept should certainly be self-explanatory. It is obviously easier said than done. I am fortunate that the example my parents set for me throughout my childhood was one of servant leadership. I watched my dad navigate the role of superintendent of schools for over 25 years as a true servant leader. I watched my mom navigate her role as teacher and parent with that same ethos. The concept of servant leadership has always made sense to me. Much of my religious education stemmed around the concept of servant leadership as well. I have always admired leaders who roll up their sleeves, get in the mix, and lead from within. I have aspired to that type of leadership since the day I started as a teacher. Like many of these philosophies, it is impossible to always succeed at this. But, as each day begins, my goal is to live the life of a servant leader.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Know the Taxonomy</b></div><div>Those of you that have spent time reading my blog know that I have thought a lot about taxonomies. A taxonomy is a hierarchical system of classification. It is, in some ways, an ordering of priorities. This has become an important way of thinking for me. It finds its way into my lesson planning, my long-term rehearsal planning, my personal goal setting, and also the way I think as a musician and artist. I used to say that I order my life and goals like an outline. I tend to see concepts in outline form as well. What I've realized in recent years, is that this is a nearly constant system of knowing the taxonomy of the topic at hand. When goal A is achieved, we can begin the process of all of the sub goals that lead to achieving goal B and so on. It is so important to keep the hierarchy of priorities in mind in nearly every task of my day. So, whether organizing a rehearsal or the multitude of tasks ahead of me in a given day, knowing the taxonomy is an absolute must for me.</div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-88222548084073096442022-12-21T08:27:00.001-08:002022-12-21T08:27:18.601-08:00Core Pholosophies Part 1<div>At the recent Midwest Clinic in Chicago, December 2022, I had the opportunity to say a few words as part of a panel discussion on rehearsal philosophies in the orchestra classroom. As part of that brief talk, I mentioned that there are a number of core philosophies that I employ in my daily life and with my family and work. So, this is the first in a series of posts which outline some of those philosophies and give a little bit of background. I hope something here speaks to you.</div><div><br></div><div>First, I would just briefly say that these philosophies serve as guideposts in my life and leadership. They give me a solid foundation to use as I plan my strategies for navigating family life, work, relationships, personal ethics and integrity, and other elements of my daily life. Also, they provide a solid foundation for moments that are trying and difficult. It is so easy to waiver in difficult times. Having clearly articulated core philosophies is a great way to mitigate snap decisions that are regretted later. They are effectively a set of glasses through which to view the world. They make things just a little bit more in focus. When core philosophies are neglected, things can feel disorienting and uncomfortable. So, these are some of my guideposts.</div><div><br></div><b>Love Works</b><div>This philosophy grows from a number of experiences in my life. I feel like the phrase is probably self-explanatory. With that said, I will provide just a little bit of context. A number of years ago, I read the book, Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders by Joel Manby. During the time I was reading the book, I had had a bit of a down period in my joy and happiness in my work. This book was a wonderful reminder of a core value that I held but hadn't truly articulated and consciously applied to every element of my life and teaching. Following reading the book, I was able to very clearly grasp this as a strong and unwavering principle in my life. Given any situation, try to find a way to love the person you encounter. This can be a person or people in need, a person or people who love you and need you, or a person or people who don't like you or even seek to harm you. In the end, I endeavor to approach everyone I encounter with love. Am I 100% effective at following the principal? Absolutely not! But it's a core philosophy of mine and I can honestly say that it has never let me down.<div><br><div><b>Move With Purpose</b></div><div>I borrowed this phrase from my dear friend, Drama Instructor at NCSSM, Adam Sampieri. I heard him use this phrase with his theater students as part of a rehearsal. Adam is a spectacular teacher and theatrical coach. The first time I heard him use the phrase, it struck me as so universal. I truly believe that a great deal of the success I have enjoyed as a music educator is a simple result of being willing to work hard and move with purpose. Some may call it hustle. I don't like the negative connotation of the word hustle. It's really simply being willing to work hard and move meaningfully through all of the tasks of a day, even when one doesn't want to or feel like it. We used this phrase with our kids quite a bit as they were growing up. I see so many students who "saunter" through their day, both literally and metaphorically. I never wanted that to be the impression my sons gave to a teacher. Show a little initiative. Work hard. Look alive. Move with purpose. It will get you somewhere.</div><div><br></div><div><b>There is Power in Steadfast</b></div></div></div><div>I truly believe that one of the highest compliments one can receive is to be referred to as "steadfast." I started keying in on this word and concept several years ago. When I hear the word steadfast, I think of my Dad. He is the personification of steadfast. He worked for the same school district as a teacher and administrator for 42 years. He and my Mom have been married for over 60 years. He has been right there, cheering me and my sisters on through countless musical performances, professional accomplishments, and parenting milestones in a way that is simply remarkably steadfast. He is a man of faith who lives out his beliefs quietly and consistently. My Dad is even keeled. He is unflappable. He is unwavering. He is steadfast. What a great example for me and my family. There are so many benefits to this type of predictability. I believe when one is steadfast, others know they can count on you. There aren't wide swings in emotion or in action or reaction. Can we do it all the time? Most of us can't. But I aspire to be steadfast.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope there may be something in these first three of my core philosophies that you find interesting or inspiring. There will be more of these posts to come.</div><div><br></div><div>What are your core guiding philosophies? Drop a few of them in the comments section here. I would love to hear from you. </div><div><br></div><div>Peace.</div><div><br></div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-90087244312792144372022-12-21T06:50:00.000-08:002022-12-21T06:50:34.836-08:00NCSSM Morganton<p>I've been spending a lot of time over the past year or so working on the opening of NCSSM's new campus located in Morganton NC. It has been a wonderful ride and we are now up and running with 150 11th grade students on our new campus. Programs are now moving forward and it is really the realization of a dream come true. I thought this would be a good time too tell the story of this new campus for those of you that are not familiar with this ambitious project.</p><p>About 7 years ago, the NC State Legislature gave us, the NC School of Science and Math, a mandate to open a second campus on an existing 800 acre parcel of state land in Morganton NC, about 3 hours west of the current Durham location. After a great deal of planning, new construction, and renovations of 3 historic buildings on the site, we opened the NCSSM-Morganton campus in August. Both locations are residential schools which serve 11th and 12th graders from across NC. The Durham location, where I have served as a faculty member for 21 years, houses 680 students and the new Morganton campus will be home to 300. (By the way- both are fully funded by the state. There is no charge for tuition, room, or board. Full scholarships for everyone!) The new school has the same basic graduation requirements as the Durham location which was established in 1980, however with a general focus on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, in addition to a course catalog comparable to the Durham campus. I anticipate a great deal of cross campus collaboration.</p><p>In my role as Fine Arts Chair for both campuses, I was hiring manager for our new Art, Music, and Theater faculty positions. My role in recent months has been to not only be to lead the hiring and onboarding of our new arts faculty and develop a compatible, but unique arts curriculum to the Durham campus, but also to help set tone and culture among all new faculty in the Morganton location. We hope to develop many interdisciplinary offerings and for the arts curriculum to accurately reflect and utilize the distinctive characteristics of the region. This includes a complete music curriculum and a ceramics, pottery and 3D focus in the art curriculum reflective of that culture in the western part of NC.</p><p>As far as last summer is concerned, all administrators were asked to be "on call" for the entirety of the summer. The joke was that the faculty even assembled bunk beds and dressers the summer before NCSSM Durham opened in 1980. I stood ready to do that important work if called upon, but it was not necessary! In all truth, I, along with our new hires, did a good deal of curriculum development over the summer and team building with the entire faculty. As we build the program, truly, there are no rules here. Just possibilities. So, dreamers are welcome and new faculty are being encouraged to think broadly about the possibilities. </p><p>For the foreseeable future, I will be splitting time between Durham and Morganton. I will continue to direct the Orchestra in Durham, but otherwise have primarily administrative duties at this point. This hits at a great time as my youngest son is a sophomore in college and Barbra and I are finding a new rhythm at home without kids around. NCSSM puts me up in a nice hotel in the middle of downtown Morganton and makes working out there very comfortable.</p><p>So, as you can see, I am really embracing the opportunity. How many folks have the opportunity to put their thumbprint on a school on the occasion of it's opening. I am truly excited about the possibilities and to lead our new arts faculty wherever their talents may take us!</p><p>After only one semester of being open, the arts program at NCSSM-Morganton is in full swing. Music students, under the direction of Jim Kirkpatrick, have presented a full concert in our newly renovated barn performance space. Courtney Long, our talented Art Instructor, has students moving forward quickly with all kinds of art projects ranging from drawing to sculpture to pottery and other design projects. And, our Drama program is getting rolling and plans to present a performance of She Fights Dragons in the late winter.</p><p>So, that is a little bit of an update on NCSSM Morganton and my work as we open this new campus. I will continue to keep you updated as things continue to progress. </p><p>Peace.</p><p>Scott</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-21951357530378495262022-12-21T06:11:00.000-08:002022-12-21T06:56:06.043-08:00A Christmas Story 1995As we are in the midst of the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to share a little Christmas story of days gone by. <div><br></div><div>This story takes place in Prince George's County Maryland around December 1995. In those years, I was the Orchestra Director at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. As many of you know, Eleanor Roosevelt had/has a incredibly vibrant music program with multiple orchestras, bands, and choirs as part of the school music program. In those years, Eleanor Roosevelt was the largest high school in Maryland and December was always an incredibly busy time. My work in December always centered around three primary activities. One was preparation and performance of numerous holiday concerts with my three orchestras. These included holiday concerts with the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra and a Concerto Concert with the Chamber Orchestra accompanying exceptional student soloists who were selected by audition in an extraordinarily competitive environment.. All music educators know that the holiday concert season is incredibly taxing and always carries a bit of stress along with the fun of performing. That was certainly the case for me in 1995. Another of my regular activities were various gigs throughout the Prince George's County region and many performing opportunities at our church, Christian Community Presbyterian Church in Bowie Maryland. I love the holidays because they always mean that I will be spending a great deal of time with my instrument in my hands. This was certainly the case in 1995. Finally, as part of the instrumental music program at Eleanor Roosevelt, there was a huge citrus fruit sale and delivery which occurred right around the holidays. My dear friend, ERHS Band Director Sally Wagner would always say that the community surrounding Eleanor Roosevelt High School had "an inalienable right to fruit" and we would always keep that promise. The fruit sale always involved one day of unloading at least one and a half tractor trailers full of citrus fruit and sometimes it would be two full trailers. The next day folks would pick up their previously ordered fruit and we would distribute all of that fruit almost as quickly as it came off the truck. So, as you can imagine, December of 1995 was extraordinarily busy and not without its level of stress.</div><div><br></div><div>At home, my wife and I had a home we had purchased just a year or two earlier and were enjoying our new responsibility of decorating the house for the holidays. This included a fresh cut Christmas tree we had purchased and proudly placed in our new, albeit inexpensive, tree stand. We decorated the tree with all of the ornaments students had given us over the years and it was displayed prominently in our living room. One day, after a long day at work, I returned home to find that the tree had fallen. I picked up the tree and worked to rebalance it and make sure that it was stable in the stand. Within another 24 hours the tree had fallen again. When I returned home after a particularly stressful day of teaching and rehearsing, I found the tree down yet again. So, in a more frustrated state this time, I picked it back up and re-situated the tree in the stand hoping that it would stay up at this point. As we moved another day closer to the concerto concert and other stressful holiday activities, the tree was clearly unstable. After one particularly hard day I returned home to find the tree and all the ornaments spread across the living room floor and in a fit of rage I tossed it out the front door, ornaments and all. My wife, Barbra, came home and was mortified at the carnage in our front yard. She asked me if we were going to replace it and in my frustration I said, "Absolutely not. I am done with Christmas this year." I am sure she remembers this differently, but my recollection is that there wasn't much argument. She figured the Christmas ship had probably sailed. </div><div><br></div><div>I went to work the next day and while in the midst of rehearsal with the Chamber Orchestra, I told them the ugly story of the Christmas tree. My 20 or so string students in the room just looked at me with complete horror and disbelief in their eyes as I recounted the story. Clearly, Mr Laird had lost the Christmas spirit. He had officially become the Grinch.</div><div><br></div><div>I continued through my day without giving it another thought. I had rehearsals all day, rehearsals after school, and other rehearsals for gigs into the evening. By the time I was able to return home I was absolutely exhausted and ready for a good night's rest. I walked into the house and things seemed unusually quiet. I stepped into my living room only to see a new tree setup in my living room completely decorated with all of our ornaments. I couldn't believe my eyes. Then, I heard a bit of a commotion in my kitchen and out came all of the students from the ERHS Chamber Orchestra. They had converged on the Laird household earlier that evening, brought a new tree, set it up, and decorated it while my wife quickly provided and imprmptu party with hot chocolate and popcorn. Even now, nearly 30 years later, my eyes are misty as I recall the incredible gift those teenagers gave me that Christmas. All they intended to do that night was to bring a little joy back into our little home. They did that and so much more. It was such an expression of love from students to a teacher they provided me that night. And for that matter, my wife as well. We talked and laughed and told stories for quite some time that night. </div><div><br></div><div>Another strong recollection of mine is that the tree was a little too tall for our living room. Rather than cutting it off at the bottom to make it fit in the room, they cut it off at the top so that the tree had no point, but a flat top where they had whacked off 12 inches or so. It was absolutely hilarious to look at. I am not positive, but I think that was the brilliant work of cellist, Gil Min. (One of you can correct me if that is wrong!) That made it even more special and provided lots of laughter in good feelings as we celebrated their accomplishment of totally surprising me.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Isn't that what the spirit of Christmas is all about? Bringing joy into the lives of others. Caring for the people we encounter every day. And making life brighter for the people around us. I think of that act of kindness every year around the holidays. I hope those students do as well. They certainly impacted my life that day. I am so fortunate to hear from students frequently about how much I impact their lives. I hope they all know how much they impact mine. If you happen to be one of my former students and are reading this, please know that in some way you have made my day brighter, my life richer, my joy a little stronger over the years. </div><div><br></div><div>I wish you all an incredibly happy holiday and some of the joy that I experienced back during the Christmas of 1995.</div><div><br></div><div>The End.</div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-13606061203508376672022-12-21T04:56:00.000-08:002022-12-21T06:55:14.075-08:00Midwest Clinic 2022I am sitting in Midway Airport in Chicago waiting for my flight to arrive, reflecting on the events of the last 3 days at the 2022 Midwest Clinic in Chicago Illinois. This is always a special event for band and orchestra directors to gather, recharge, and reconnect right before the holidays. People often remark that it's an odd time to hold a conference, but it always seems to feel right. Chicago during the holidays is beautiful (and cold) but the friendships that are rekindled and made at this conference are well worth braving the cold weather.<div><br></div><div>This year, I was particularly pleased that three of us from the NCSSM Music Discipline could be at the clinic. It was great to see Carolina Perez and Jim Kirkpatrick, NCSSM Music Instructors, in their element with many other fantastic band directors. I'm truly blessed to work with them on a daily basis. Additionally, the opportunity to reconnect with pillars of Music Education like Philip Riggs and Sally Wagner is truly a blessing in my life. </div><div><br></div><div>As for me, the primary purpose of my trip was to present as part of a panel of contributors to the new GIA publication entitled "Rehearsing the High School Orchestra," by Sandy Goldie. I was privileged to contribute a chapter to this book that takes a close look at a number of elements of high school orchestra teaching and features contributions by 8 prominent high school orchestra directors. Those categories include warm up exercises, left hand development, right hand development, articulation, developing musicianship, repertoire selection, community building, rehearsal philosophy, and others. In our session, each contributing author presented their perspective on one element of the book. I was pleased to give a brief overview of my thoughts on Rehearsal Philosophy. We had a great audience for the presentation and I think our ideas were well received.</div><div><br></div><div>Other highlights for me included a wonderful performance by the Walton High School Orchestra from Cobb County, Georgia under the direction of Perry Holbrook and Sarah Grimes. I had the privilege of spending a day with the orchestras at Walton a few weeks ago, offering some suggestions to this wonderful performing ensemble. I felt a lot of pride in their performance even as a one-day guest in their classroom. The performance was magnificent.</div><div><br></div><div>I saw several other orchestras perform and they were truly all fantastic. One of the great benefits of attending the Midwest Clinic is attending these concert performances to ensure that your perspective on superior musical performance is measured by the very best in the country. Performing at Midwest Clinic is really one of the highest honors a high school band or orchestra can achieve. The audition process is rigorous and all directors who have this opportunity know that they are in the national spotlight when they perform at the Midwest Clinic.</div><div><br></div><div>Another highlight was attending the panel discussion by contributing authors for the new GIA publication, "Inspiring a Love of Music," by Scott Rush and Frank Battisti. This is another collaborative publication which highlights the ideas of several prominent music educators around the country. Again, I was honored to participate in this publication. While I was not involved in the panel discussion at the Midwest Clinic, I was in attendance and thrilled to hear the thoughts of so many fine music educators. Most prominent in my mind (and probably all others in attendance) were the ideas and remarks of distinguished music professor, Dr Frank Battisti. It was such an honor to hear him articulate his thoughts about the purpose of music in our lives, and students' lives, and in the world we live in. He was so inspiring and clearly a wealth of knowledge. His remarks alone were worth the trip to Chicago!</div><div><br></div><div>There were many other marvelous sessions as well. I attended Margaret Selby's brilliant session on middle school orchestra recruiting and retention, a fantastic new music performance session with the Chicago land educators Orchestra performing, and several others. All were fantastic!</div><div><br></div><div>But now, with bad weather coming into the Midwest, it is time to get out of here. It has been a wonderful couple of days and I'm so sad to miss the Wednesday sessions and performances. I was particularly looking forward to the Johns Creek High School Orchestra performance today under the direction of my dear friend Young Kim. I am certain they will be spectacular. Young is a master at pulling the very best technically and musically from his students. I always enjoy seeing him conduct and hearing the exceptional results of his brilliant rehearsal technique.</div><div><br></div><div>For now, goodbye to Chicago and the Midwest Clinic. I truly look forward to the next time! Now back to Durham and Christmas Eve gigs!</div><div><br></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-56599959829769687882022-05-10T10:43:00.000-07:002022-05-10T10:44:12.539-07:00Computational Thinking and the Orchestra Classroom<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Computational Thinking and the Orchestra Classroom.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b>I recently had a incredibly interesting conversation with NCSSM's Instructor of Computational Chemistry. He is a dear friend and a long-standing member of the NCSSM faculty. He introduced this concept to me as part of a conversation regarding the direction of our school's greater program and I have thought about it a great deal over the past several months. I believe that we will hear more and more about this concept, especially in the areas of STEM education in coming years. Computational thinking, when defined, is easily related to the music and orchestra classroom. I believe that I have been engrossed in computational thinking for virtually my entire life as a musician; from the time I was a student, to young teacher, to now as a veteran teacher. We use computational thinking when we are playing instruments, when we are practicing, when we are playing in or conducting an ensemble, and when we are planning and creating pedagogy and instrumental lessons. So, let's dive deeper into the concept of computational thinking as it applies to the orchestra class.</b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>"Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions. It is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including the humanities, math, and science." ~Wikipedia</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>In this essay, we will focus specifically on music.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Students who learn computational thinking across the curriculum can begin to see a relationship between academic subjects, as well as between life inside and outside of the classroom. This is, obviously, a goal of arts and humanities programs in all school settings. I believe it is additionally a strong goal of music education and ensemble performance classes. We continually seek to facilitate interdisciplinary ideas, learning, and expression on a daily basis.</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><br></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b>Computational thinking involves a number of specific components. Let's begin to look at them here.</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>1. Decomposition: Breaking down data, processes, or problems into smaller, manageable parts. </b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>I would hope that every music educator who reads this is thinking, "This is what I do every day." The goal of all strong pedagogy would be to facilitate success with complex musical ideas and tasks by breaking those tasks into smaller, more palatable increments. We do this throughout every rehearsal cycle in an ensemble. We also do this in music lessons on a daily and weekly basis. I often say that the most important music lesson a student ever has is the first one they have. That first lesson is when a strong foundation of " setup " is established. This is the beginning of success in much more complex techniques. Think about how one might approach teaching a student the technique of vibrato. It is not haphazard. There are many individual steps towards developing that complex technique. One might argue that we are never finished with the process. I believe that the most successful music educators are those who take the time to fully decompose the most advanced of musical techniques and articulate the process clearly.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><br></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>2. Pattern Recognition: Observing patterns, trends, and regularities in data.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Any student who has learned to play an instrument through the Suzuki method, understands the importance of pattern recognition. To this day I still hear and see the pattern of four eighth notes and two quarter notes as "caught a little bun-ny." That pattern was drilled over and over to me at the very beginning of my music instruction. We seek patterns all the time in music. Rhythmic recognition is truly pattern recognition. Jazz musicians understand this as learning figures. Key recognition is truly pattern recognition. Modal recognition is truly pattern recognition. Shifting is pattern recognition. I could go on and on. The best musicians are recognizing patterns all over the place. It is truly one of the strongest skills that a musician develops. The more we recognize and repeat patterns, the less we have to really think about fixed ideas during a rehearsal or a performance. I often say to my ensembles, "solve the equation once." What I am really saying is to find the patterns, recognize them, and repeat them. This will free your mind up to think about other things in that same moment.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>3. Abstraction: Identifying the general principles that generate these patterns</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>This may be my most favorite element of preparing a score for rehearsal. I am continuously seeking abstractions that I can use to articulate concepts for my students. In the NCSSM orchestra, we just completed a performance of Beethoven's 6th Symphony. In the second movement, there are a series of 16th note patterns. As I lived with the score and studied it, I noted that the 16th notes really serve two purposes in that movement. In some cases, I identify the 16th note patterns as "the engine." The function of engine passages in Beethoven, in my opinion, is to establish rhythmic drive as well as a harmonic underpinning. Think of this as the rhythm guitar of the orchestra, playing chords and a driving regular rhythmic pattern. My students have grown to be able to truly identify "engine" passages whenever we perform Beethoven. The other type of 16th note passage in this movement is more of a "melodic" function. Beethoven embeds the melody within the 16th note undulation in these passages. So, during the course of rehearsal, I would have my students identify "engine" passages versus "melodic" passages of 16th notes. This type of abstraction should be prevalent in the work we do as music educators. And, ultimately, we want our students to be able to do this type of work as well. It is not easy. This requires us as music educators to step back from the fixed notion of notes and rhythm on a page. We need to see the score in a more functional manner. I have spent a great deal of time in recent years considering the functionality of every passage in the scores I conduct. What is the purpose of every single note and passage in any given score? When we can answer this question of functionality, we have truly begun to embrace the notion of abstraction within the score. When we help our students to think about a score in this way, we have offered them this notion of abstraction.</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>4. Algorithm Design: Developing the step by step instructions for solving this and similar problems.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>This is sequential pedagogy in its most pure and basic form. Have you ever seen a video on YouTube of someone trying to explain a musical concept or technique who really hasn't developed a step-by-step process for solving the problem? I have! In the end, algorithm design is pedagogical design. We, as music educators, do it every single day. And, if it's not in the front of your mind when you are planning for teaching, I recommend that you begin to focus on this. I do not believe there is any one specific answer to algorithm design for music educators. But, this notion of creating step by step instructions is critical to the success of our students. Clarity always wins in the end. Many years ago, I had a friend and mentor encourage me to think in this manner. He cautioned me that folks to whom high level musical performance comes relatively easily, can have difficulties with this when explaining concepts to their students. I happened to be one of those musicians. Many advanced techniques came relatively easily to me for some reason. So, as a young teacher, I committed to decomposition and algorithm design in a significant way. It has paid huge dividends for me in the classroom over the years. I am so appreciative of that mentor's advice!</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>"The characteristics that define computational thinking are decomposition, pattern recognition/data representation, generalization/abstraction, and algorithms. By decomposing a problem, identifying the variables involved using data representation, and creating algorithms, a generic solution results. The generic solution is a generalization or abstraction that can be used to solve a multitude of variations of the initial problem." ~Wikipedia</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Another characterization of computational thinking is the "three A's" iterative process based on three stages:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Abstraction: Problem formulation;</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Automation: Solution expression;</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>Analyses: Solution execution and evaluation.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>These can also be easily linked to the process of ensemble rehearsal or instrumental music instruction. As conductors, we must first identify the problem through abstraction. Next, we express a solution which equates to automation. And then finally we execute a plan for solution and ultimately evaluate the success of that plan. This is what music educators do every single day.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>"Some say that the four Cs of 21st century learning are communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. The fifth C could be computational thinking which entails the capability to resolve problems algorithmically and logically." ~Wikipedia</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>As music educators, we commit to this on a daily basis. Our students should be observing the computational thinking process in our work every day. And, by extension, we must be encouraging students to think computationally in everything that they experience as a musician. This is yet another justification for music programs within the context of a stem education. The way we can encourage students to think when in the ensemble classroom has undeniable links to the science, math, and engineering classroom.</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b>I would love to hear your reaction to these thoughts. I also encourage you to consider some of these ideas when advocating for your program. These are important facets of the work that we do as music educators and the work that our students do when they are in our classroom. But, if we are unable to articulate these outcomes, the greater concept is often overlooked. </b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b>I wish you all the best as you continue your work in the music ensemble classroom. </b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b>Peace. </b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b>Scott</b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b><br></b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><b><br></b></div><div style="line-height: 24px; padding: 4px 0px 6px;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><b><br></b></span></div>
OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-57829256320765575822022-03-21T08:13:00.002-07:002022-03-21T08:14:57.235-07:00American String Teachers Association National Conference 2022: My Week and ExperienceI woke up this morning in my own bed after being out of town for the past week. It is so great to experience the familiarity of my own place: my home, I own stuff, and the comforts of home. While I was staying in a magnificent suite at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta, it is always good to come home. This morning I was looking through Facebook and enjoying all of the moving posts about folks' experiences at the ASTA National Conference last week. The membership of this organization points toward our national conference as somewhat of a Mecca for reconnecting with friends and colleagues from around the country, acquiring new and unique ideas about string teaching and the art we love, and getting that annual reminder that we are not alone. <div><br /></div><div>My week was a little bit unique this year. Many of you know I have been serving on the National Board of Directors for ASTA for about 6 years as the Chair of the Content Development Committee. This was my last conference in that role. I will be rolling off the board in May and using my time to more fully commit to projects here at NCSSM, specifically opening our new NCSSM campus in Morganton North Carolina. So, as a result my week at the conference was a little different than many years. I didn't have much time to attend sessions, but it was no less meaningful and the work in which I was involved had, hopefully, a great deal of impact. This is my opportunity to chronicle my week a little bit and to give others a small window into that work.<div><br /></div><div><b>Monday and Tuesday</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I left home on Sunday evening to get a small jump on the long drive. It is about a 6-hour drive from Durham NC to Atlanta. I went about halfway and spent the night in Spartanburg SC. I got up early on Monday to finish the drive so that I could be ready for board meetings beginning at noon on Monday. I safely arrived in Atlanta and settled into my room. And after a nice lunch, the Board got to work. The board work on Monday and Tuesday centered around creating a new strategic plan to guide our organization for the next 3 years. I love all of the members of the board and these are opportunities for meaningful and thoughtful conversation about the work of ASTA, our membership, our mission, and how we want to spend our limited resources to make the field of string teaching and the United States a better place. Our conversations this year centered around many of the standard topics of the American String Teachers Association, such as professional development opportunities, and member resources, but wellness and diversity were really front and center as well. We were able to frame an outline and priorities for the new strategic plan through our work. That plan should be finalized by June and I am excited to see it implemented for our organization. For those who don't know, the organization has been through a great deal of transition in the last year as we have said goodbye to one Executive Director, hired an interim for 6 months or so, and welcomed our new Executive Director, Lynn Tuttle, to the organization. Lynn is a thoughtful and intelligent leader and I know she will guide ASTA with integrity and purpose in coming years. Truly, the entire board worked diligently and thoughtfully on this plan. We ended the day on Tuesday with a wonderful Board dinner. I went back to the hotel fulfilled (and very full) ready to move into the rest of the Conference.<div><br /></div><div><b>Wednesday</b></div><div><br /></div><div>On Wednesday, the Board came together to finalize some of the details of the outline of the strategic plan in the morning. We worked for a couple of hours and then many of us had to move on to our work as facilitators for the Wednesday pre-conference sessions. I was honored to be conducting and guiding the ASTA National Conference Teachers Orchestra on Wednesday. About 23 teachers from around the country registered for this pre-conference session to come together and make music for the afternoon. This was the second time we have put this event together for ASTA. The Teachers Orchestra was a wonderful success again this year. We came together at noon and rehearsed until 5:00 p.m. The rehearsal included great music-making, many smiles, new friendships, and was an overall fulfilling afternoon. We had a wide variety of repertoire that included an arrangement of the Day of Wrath (Dies Irae) from Verdi's Requiem, arranged by Deborah Baker Monday, works by composers Katie Labrie and Gabriella Frank, and even the winner of the ASTA 75th Anniversary composition contest, Nagyszentmiklos, by Todd Mason, a tricky but amazing work which is basically ah homage to the influence of Bela Bartok. There was plenty to do for the afternoon. Our time together culminated with a informal performance at the opening reception of the conference at 6:30 that evening. What a pleasure to conduct the group. It was truly a joy to spend the day with these wonderful teachers from around the country. Again, I strongly believe everyone had a great time and enjoyed the process of music making and bringing a short program together throughout the afternoon. I was honored to be part of this. Following the reception, I ran to another dinner with all of the other adjudicators and clinicians for the National Orchestra Festival, which was set to begin on Thursday morning.</div><div><br /></div><div> <b>Thursday Friday Saturday </b></div><div><br /></div><div> As part of the National Conference each year ASTA hosts the American String Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival where student groups from around the country apply and come to our conference to perform for a set of adjudicators and receive educational clinics. This year, I was invited to be one of the clinicians who worked with orchestras following their adjudicated performances. My role in this event was to listen to orchestra performances and then give them a brief educational clinic immediately following their performance. I heard orchestras from Florida, Texas, Colorado, Indiana, and other regions of the country. Truly, all of the performances were magnificent and I was encouraged throughout the festival regarding the level of string teaching and playing that's happening in our country today. Over the course of Thursday and Friday I heard and cliniced 8 different orchestras. In my clinics, I tried to give students the opportunity to reflect on their own performances, consider their successes and areas on which they could improve in their performances, reflect on their trip, and, I aspired to give them a few small musical nuggets to think about as they move forward in their playing as individuals and ensembles. I truly hope that the instructors walked away from each of my clinics with a little something new to think about. And, obviously, my goal was that each student would feel valued and honored in their efforts. There were also usually many parent chaperones in the room and I always try to make a point to thank them and honor them for the dedication it takes to be part of a music community in a school and to support their children in their orchestral endeavors. Following all of the performances, a National Grand Champion is named and all of the groups are ranked. On Saturday morning, the winners of the middle school and high school divisions were announced at a high energy award ceremony. Later on Saturday afternoon, the Middle School and High School Grand Champions performed as the closing session of the conference. The Grand Champions are Seven Lakes Junior High Chamber Orchestra from Katy, Texas under the direction of Jennifer Gingell and Bethany Hagin and Eau Gallie High School Chamber Orchestra from Melbourne Florida under the direction of Erik Bryan. The performances were absolutely stunning. I am also thrilled that my colleague Ryan Ellefson from East Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina took his ensemble to the event and they were awarded second place in the high school division. Sadly, I didn't see their performance because I was clinician another group at that time. But all indications were that they were absolutely spectacular. I know it was a huge weekend for Ryan and for every student and parent who participated in the event. I am so pleased for them!</div><div><br /></div><div>Following a social gathering on Saturday evening, I got to bed early and set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. I left Atlanta when I woke up at that early hour and drove directly to my youngest son's baseball game in Raleigh. The game was slated to start at noon and I had missed several games being away this week. I didn't want to miss the game on Sunday. I made it to the game on time to see all of his at-bats. I was also so pleased that my middle son, Joe, could come and watch the games with me. He had been in London for the past 2 weeks with a class trip from UNC and just arrived back in Raleigh on Saturday. What a cool way to come home!</div><div><br /></div><div>So, it was certainly a busy, but fulfilling week. As always, my best memories and takeaways include the friendships old and new, and personal interaction with my colleagues, from around the county. There is no substitute for the smiles, hugs, conversations over coffee, and well-wishes for and from this like-minded group of folks. The American String Teachers Association continues to be strong and continues to provide a welcoming community for all in the field. Thanks to all of you who impacted me over the past week. I look forward to seeing you all and others at Orlando next year. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-26961343207058871022022-02-28T16:32:00.000-08:002022-03-02T09:59:58.596-08:00A look 14 years back<div><i>I was recently looking back over some of my first posts on this blog and thought it would be fun to revisit a few and see if I am still in agreement with myself.</i></div><div><br></div><div>Seating Auditions are Traumatic</div><div>September 12, 2008</div><div><br></div><div>Seating auditions are traumatic. Anyone that has ever played in an orchestra knows it. A musician's seating is a concrete expression of a musician's "rank" in the ensemble and one really can't hide from the number. (1st chair, 2nd chair, 14th chair, etc.) </div><div><br></div><div>I have to constantly remind students in my ensembles that auditions are not a concrete ranking of musical expertise. They are more like a quick <b>snapshot, </b>capturing a single moment in time. </div><div><br></div><div>Sometimes photos give a very true impression of a person's image. Sometimes they really don't. Sometimes our eyes are crossed and we look horrible. Other times, we see a shot of a person that just makes them look fantastic. They are all the same person, but that snapshot can go either way. </div><div><br></div><div>Auditions are similar. Sometimes we go into an audition, get nervous, and end up being the subject of an audition "photo" that depicts our eyes crossed and hair totally messed up. Other times, we show better that we actually are. But, in the long run, generally speaking, the image is still us. And, in both "good and bad" auditions, we give some kind of general impression of the player that we are. </div><div><br></div><div>The beauty of the orchestra and string ensemble is this: <b>once the auditions are over, we all have the same responsibilities</b> - to prepare our parts, participate in rehearsals, lead from any chair, and work to be as integral a member of the group as everyone else. Seating order ultimately does not matter. Yes, it provides a tangible "rank." But it really doesn't change anything. We are an ensemble. And, by definition, it is all about the entire group. Ensembles are only successful when everyone understands their importance to the sum and fully commits to that concept. (Just think of the last time you watched a dance ensemble performance where one of the dancers didn't operate at the same level as the rest of the group. Ruined the effect - didn't it.) </div><div><br></div><div>Here is where I usually go into sports analogies and the need for team play, but I will spare you that line of argument today. My orchestra received their seating on Wednesday right before rehearsal. It was a weird rehearsal that day. Players were getting used to their new stand partner, adjusting to the reality of that new "ranking" that they had just received, and generally getting comfortable. I really hope that today is better. This is such a fantastic group of musicians and I have such high expectations for the year. For now, we move on as an ensemble. Seating doesn't matter. That is the first key to success as an orchestra. A chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Now we get to the real work of developing musicianship, artistry, technique, repertoire, and a commitment to the goals at hand. I will enjoy the journey! <div><br></div><div><i>As I read this today, I certainly still agree with every word of this brief essay. But, in 2022, we should also be seeing seating, particularly in the classroom, through a new lens. How does your ensemble seating look when seen through a racial equity and inclusion lens? How does it look when seen through a gender equity and inclusion lens. Frankly, that would not have crossed my mind in 2008. But, if the actual seat of player really doesn't matter, as I said in 2008, then what are we telling the student who is always in the back of the section about their value and worth? Or, better said, what are they perceiving we are saying to them? I tend to rotate seating much more than I did 12 or 13 years ago. I try to be conscious of unintended statements seating may be making about my students. I also try to pair up students in creative ways which help everyone succeed in the long run. There is no "right" answer here. But there is plenty of room for self-reflection and sensitive deliberation when making seating decisions.</i></div></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>I have conducted a few honors groups in the past few months as we are just getting ramped up again post-covid. I have noticed a great deal of discussion about a new and different level of nerves in seating auditions. In fact, it was the topic of conversation just last weekend at the NCMEA Eastern Regional Orchestra Festival. Our kids have become used to the comfort of the video audition and playing by themselves in a live setting is more foreign that it used to be. It is time for us to start getting back to those live auditions. There is value in feeling those butterflies in the stomach and maybe even making a few mistakes in the audition room. Life doesn't end with a bad audition. We simply learn about where we need to grow. These are good lessons!</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>In the end, I still love the analogy of a snapshot. We recently had some family photos taken and in most of them, the wind had blown my hair into an odd place. I absolutely hate when my bangs go straight down. They should be combed to the side to look "right." Only in the last 3 shots, after I had taken a look at the photos, did my hair look right to me. Oh well...not the greatest look, but at their core, the photos still look like me. My wife claims she really didn't even notice. I know I did. But, I still can live with the photos. And, there will always be another chance!</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-898798863063331242021-09-13T16:30:00.003-07:002021-09-13T16:32:24.568-07:00In Silence<div>I typically dictate my blog posts. Ever since I picked up my Google Pixel phone several years ago, I have been dictating my posts as a first step. I helps me get my ideas out with a bit of flow. Then, I go back and edit for clarity, spelling, flow, accuracy, etc. If you read my blog, I bet you have caught a mistake from time to time. A misspelling. An odd use of a word. That sort of thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>I do the same thing with my students' college recommendations. Also with emails. This workflow really helps me get my ideas out quickly. Then, I can always go back for accuracy and clarity. </div><div><br /></div><div>But, not tonight. Tonight I am typing. Why? Because I can't talk. Last Thursday I had a nasty polyp removed from my vocal chords. So, I am now on extended vocal rest. Tonight is day 5. That's right. I haven't said a word in 5 days! Those of you who know me may find that hard to believe. I think it has been a nice break for my wife. </div><div><br /></div><div>I started noticing a problem quickly after we went to all zoom classes at the beginning of Covid-19. I was simply talking too much and over projecting to get through the computer on Zoom. I was limping to the finish line at the end of last school year when I led a sing-along/jam session for seniors on the last day of school. I sang too long in the heat, with no water, and knew the whole time I was hurting myself. As I went home that day in May, I knew the damage was done. </div><div><br /></div><div>I knew because I had the same problem in 2008, 13 years ago. When I first came to NCSSM in 2001, one of my teaching duties was chorus. I over-sang for several years as a crutch against my lack of pedagogical skills as a choral musician. 7 years of over-singing took its toll. I had developed polyps and the only remedy was surgery. </div><div><br /></div><div>Back then they used a scalpel. Now it is a laser. (Much less invasive.) Back then, the recovery was 4 weeks and now it is more like 2. One similarity is vocal coaching afterwards. Tomorrow is my first session. I am dreading it. Back then I had little boys at home who needed my attention. Now they are all adults and my wife and I have the place to ourselves. It is much quieter than in 2008. I learned back then that there is a lot of one's identity tied up in voice. How deep? How does it project? This is particularly, I believe, impactful for a teacher like me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow will be my first day back at school. My orchestra students have been so nice. They are concerned about me! It is so hard for me to take time off. I have definitely rested and allowed my voice to recuperate, but my mind goes a mile a minute. I miss being at work. I miss all the social interaction. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, what does a guy like me learn in 5 days of no talking? Let me see if I can give you a list.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I like to listen to podcasts</li><li>It is frustrating to not be able to respond to conversation or pick up the phone</li><li>Vocal surgery makes one tired!</li><li>I enjoy long walks</li><li>I really do enjoy listening to others</li><li>It is so easy to get lost in my phone</li><li>I like to cook</li><li>Anesthesia messes you up for a day or so</li><li>I appreciate my family</li><li>My wife is an angel and a saint</li><li>One notices the world around when you can't speak</li><li>I truly like my work and miss going to school</li><li>My students are the best!</li><li>It was so fun to watch the Steelers with my sons, without talking (or cheering)</li></ul><div>I am sure there is more, but these are some starters.</div></div><div>I have been communicating with a white-board at home and plan to continue to do so at school for the next two weeks. Wish me luck!</div><div><br /></div><div>For now, take care of your voice. You need it. I know I need mine. And, I am hoping that it will be back in its old clear form in just a few short weeks. And then, I can go back to dictating my blog posts. For now, enjoy the silence!</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scott</div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-58266607399580065572021-09-08T05:57:00.006-07:002021-09-08T14:20:43.783-07:00Spinach Dip Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBNmoWmgyueLleY5MIwMqkXefXAikozcphzuugroksPrjmCEgLKTYLGQ1BmHh0IG4FuyE_9ise0IDQlrCAchc8iSURc9U7h0Zse5ZauLAQw6dON9UJGCJwghGstsnvS1fm4THFxkBjxQ/s1638/skinny-slow-cooker-spinach-parmesan-dip-7-of-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBNmoWmgyueLleY5MIwMqkXefXAikozcphzuugroksPrjmCEgLKTYLGQ1BmHh0IG4FuyE_9ise0IDQlrCAchc8iSURc9U7h0Zse5ZauLAQw6dON9UJGCJwghGstsnvS1fm4THFxkBjxQ/s320/skinny-slow-cooker-spinach-parmesan-dip-7-of-8.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />Back in 1992, I left my first job in Palmyra PA, to become the Orchestra Director at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt MD. As part of my move from Pennsylvania to Maryland, I had to do some professional development to keep my teaching certificate up to date. This included two summer classes. One was in reading and the other was in special education. My new position was at a science and technology magnet school teaching orchestra. At the time, I was having great difficulty finding the value in doing this professional development and was dreading the classes. My colleague, the band director at the school, encouraged me to go and find any positive in the work that was required of me. In her words, I should "seek out a really good spinach dip recipe" as a result of my time in the classes. Her point was that we can find positives in virtually any situation. I used that phrase for many years when I opened professional development sessions I was teaching. Professional development is not ever going to hit every participant in the sweet spot. Participants must be open to the little benefits of a day or more of professional development. Sometimes we making a new friend, gain a new perspective, or, find "a really good spinach dip recipe" shared among friends. <div><br /></div><div>Last Friday, the Friday before Labor Day weekend, our students were gone for a long four-day weekend. The day was labeled a professional development day and the faculty at our school were required to attend a professional development session on Restorative Practices. I have to say, the timing wasn't good. It has been a trying beginning of the school year. Faculty are working hard to teach through masks. We are just coming back together as a community after being in a hybrid learning mode for over a year. Folks are worried about health, large groups, and the spread of the virus. In addition, there is much discussion in our community about self care, workplace flexibility, and the emotional well-being of our staff and faculty. And, lots of folks were ready to get out the door for a much deserved long weekend of rest and relaxation. In fact, I was planning a weekend trip to the beach and was in fact a little annoyed that I would be getting away from work so late on this final day before the Labor Day weekend. However, in spite of all of these factors, the professional development session on Restorative Practices from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. was scheduled and was definitely going to happen. The facilitators had been booked and paid, and the plan was set in motion. But, it would be fair to say that a large portion of our faculty was apprehensive about participating in the in-person sessions throughout the day, skeptical about the facilitators ability to understand our unique community, and not in a good place to receive the information that was being presented. </div><div><br /></div><div>It would be fair to say that many folks were not in a place where they could be looking for "a really good spinach dip recipe" on that day. In actuality, it seems kind of ironic that a professional development day on Restorative Practices could possibly have so much potential negativity surrounding it. But, this is where we found ourselves last Friday. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't know much about the topic. I had looked it up on Wikipedia briefly before the session. But, in actuality I was starting from scratch. Restorative Practices is an approach that proactively builds positive school communities. It is defined as a social science that studies how to build social capital and achieve social discipline through participatory learning and decision making. The day was built on providing models and a framework for implementing Restorative Practices in the classroom and school community. Our first meeting of the day was in a large room with our faculty split into "small groups" of about 30 to 35 people and a facilitator. These numbers of folks together caused a lot of concern among my colleagues from a health perspective. It really was too many people to be sitting in a circle in a room indoors when we have been so careful about the health of our community up to now. The facilitator was a really great guy. He had a history as a high school football coach, graduation coach, and has been working for the Department of Public Instruction for several years, teaching Restorative Practices. He was articulate, friendly, and very knowledgeable on his subject. That said, it became clear quickly that he was used to a very different audience than my school's faculty. As many of you know, I do not teach at a traditional high school. NCSSM is a residential high school of academically motivated students. Classroom management and discipline are not our biggest issues at NCSSM. We, as instructors, are focused much more on students social and emotional learning, health and well-being, and obviously, high level content for high achieving students. Much of the early stages of the presentation were built around classroom discipline, challenging students, and other common concerns in traditional high schools. At NCSSM, we tend to get the students who are not causing problems in class. So, understandably, our focus and concerns are different. We operate in a unique school setting for sure. (Hence, our mascot is appropriately, the Unicorns.)</div><div><br /></div><div>About an hour into the presentation, after a couple of challenging and difficult interactions, I could tell that the presenter began to realize that he didn't truly understand our community. But, like the professional that he is, he let us know that he was trying to figure out exactly who we are, and move forward with an open mind and curiosity about our students, faculty, and environment. In truth, he handled it perfectly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Throughout the rest of the day, our facilitator went on to explain many of the principles of Restorative Practices to our small group and led a sometimes difficult discussion. I was impressed with his ability to pivot and flow with the curveballs he was thrown throughout the day. I must admit, as the day continued, a small wave of positivity went through the room and I could feel participation become more open as the day went on. </div><div><br /></div><div>As for myself, I found a number of wonderful nuggets in the models of restorative practices that were presented that day. I knew I had a 4-hour car ride to the beach ahead of me with my wife and made several notes about topics I wanted to bring up with her to discuss in the car as they related to our relationship, our family, and our work. I had found my "spinach dip recipes."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrYiR4phI3BvpWXy_XsPQzeujp1xkUj15rfvjOjtG8LOS0b7DtxQaRZNXGnezLO1AjROFmbf4Eexs82fFPvvQNafgsa-3F0DhW2UoSTFO13pXxKGX56I6jY5oFhBGHQP4jWrfoJvSG6w/s262/nine+innate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="192" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrYiR4phI3BvpWXy_XsPQzeujp1xkUj15rfvjOjtG8LOS0b7DtxQaRZNXGnezLO1AjROFmbf4Eexs82fFPvvQNafgsa-3F0DhW2UoSTFO13pXxKGX56I6jY5oFhBGHQP4jWrfoJvSG6w/s0/nine+innate.png" width="192" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>One of the topics that I found to be quite interesting were the Nine Innate Affects as defined by the Restorative Practices Handbook. The positive affects were listed as interest, excitement, enjoyment, and joy. Neutral affects were listed as surprise and startle. Negative affects included shame, humiliation, distress, anguish, disgust, fear, terror, anger, rage, and dissmell. I considered these fairly deeply during the day. I believe that I live most of my life in the midst of the positive affects. I tend to begin each day with interest and excitement. And, for the most part I am open to, and seeking, enjoyment and joy in all that I do. As I considered these ideas, it occurred to me that my wife and I both live primarily in the positive affects. That is probably one of the keys to our 31-year marriage. I was anxious to share this idea with her in the car.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTq6GCLDc4_TP3QQbQett1LAYEKUKvXBrDsWG2qVjnZDTEwd-C8_zFlhaTse31qLejzvmbwGoSpK-sglJCg-QqNEz-1oERidhCYHAOADcBO2QRR9WI5GKL9i0Anvlhyphenhyphen12H890U6s225A/s251/compass.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTq6GCLDc4_TP3QQbQett1LAYEKUKvXBrDsWG2qVjnZDTEwd-C8_zFlhaTse31qLejzvmbwGoSpK-sglJCg-QqNEz-1oERidhCYHAOADcBO2QRR9WI5GKL9i0Anvlhyphenhyphen12H890U6s225A/s0/compass.png" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another model that spoke to me a bit was the Compass of Shame which was presented to us. Mind you, shame is not an emotion I relate to a whole lot. But, it is part of all of our lives. The East/West poles of the compass include attacking others (on the west) and attacking self (on the east.) These are two very opposite reactions to shame. The north/south poles are withdrawal (on the north) and avoidance (on the south.) Again, these are very opposite reactions to shame. I would equate withdrawal to stewing in the shame and avoidance to denying the shame or moving on to other things in order to to mask the feeling. This was a lot for me to consider in my own life and as it relates to the lives of others. Interesting stuff. When do I feel shame? Why do I feel shame? And how is it changed over the years? Which poles are my default reactions to shame? I thought about all of this stuff a good deal throughout the afternoon. It was a good topic of reflection for me on this day. It also made for great conversation in the car on the way to the beach.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were a few other concepts throughout the day that provided food for thought as well. I found the Social Discipline Window to be interesting and spent some time reflecting on it. If you want to know more about the Social Discipline Window, spend some time in the Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators, by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel, and Ted Wachtel. It is a comprehensive handbook and covers these concepts in detail.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzSIvNa4rlFBsX6MrhlGJd2tEub4y2sFmDQyCbOlotVAEHsOHyAPq2wrRE1pAW3YjH-0ah43DkAfyZZDaUdYrh-tzOjjkZ2EkWQ7DQROR4MCD1LHmNta07ztfs7tPEutAGrUmFNmpMRM/s255/Restorative+Practices.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="255" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzSIvNa4rlFBsX6MrhlGJd2tEub4y2sFmDQyCbOlotVAEHsOHyAPq2wrRE1pAW3YjH-0ah43DkAfyZZDaUdYrh-tzOjjkZ2EkWQ7DQROR4MCD1LHmNta07ztfs7tPEutAGrUmFNmpMRM/w136-h105/Restorative+Practices.png" width="136" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In the end, the professional development session on Friday isn't going to change my life. It also certainly didn't kill me to participate. I left the day with food for thought and some interesting ideas to consider throughout the weekend. I thought a great deal about how these practices apply to the orchestra classroom. Also, it was interesting to consider how many of the philosophies I have developed over the years fit firmly into the ethos of Restorative Practices. I was particularly pleased to see how my concepts of "Essence" as a rehearsal discipline fit strongly into the model. I had a wonderful conversation with my Dean over lunch where we discussed these ideas. Another "spinach dip recipe!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Isn't this the way professional development goes. Sometimes it hits a home run and other times it can be a strikeout. But, there is usually a "spinach dip recipe" to be found. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we move through the upcoming academic year, I wish you all the opportunity to find those spinach dip recipes. Keep an open mind and an open heart. Good things will come from our work. And, if you have the chance, check out Restorative Practices as a wonderful model and tool for your interactions with students, colleagues, and family. I feel certain you will find some value there. </div><div><br /></div><div>Peace. </div><div><br /></div><div>Scott</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-77292489927653961122021-07-29T06:10:00.001-07:002021-07-29T06:13:44.176-07:00CodaBow and the Pedagogical Approach<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I vividly remember my first violin and bow. My parents purchased that little quarter size instrument in 1971 from a local luthier in Clymer PA. I believe it was $35. The bow wasn't much more than a long skinny stick of wood with hair attached. But, it was mine and, at age 6, I was now a violinist. I don't recall much more about the bow. But, I do know it was a very precious possession. My parents drove home the importance of taking care of my bow. I learned to loosen the hair after each practice, not to touch the hair, and to rosin it regularly. (Which, I am pretty sure I didn't do.) I'm not sure I understood the reasoning behind any of that but it certainly served me well during those early years. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a2d36775-7fff-3ff8-fcb5-48f4be5bc784"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember my parents purchasing my first "quality" full-size violin when I was about 13 years old. We bought it from Kschier Brothers in Pittsburgh and it, too, became my prized possession. I actually still play that violin to this day. The bow cost $375 and I recall that it was a Brazilwood stick. Again, I don't remember much about the performance of the bow. I didn't understand the importance of those issues at the time. But, I do know it became an important part of my violin package, and I made sure I took very good care of it. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a music education major in college, I purchased my first high-end bow around 1985. It was purchased from the William Moennig & Son Company in Philadelphia and was made by Joseph Richter. Boy, could I feel the difference! I felt like I was driving a Ferrari when I played. Everything worked the way I needed it to work. I could achieve a beautiful, consistent tone from frog to stick. I had control of advanced techniques, and I could play with sonic nuance that I had never been able to achieve before. I could feel the difference. This was the right bow for me. I now had the right tool to develop my artistry.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fast forward to my early teaching years. Almost all of my students we're coming to me with rental instruments and the old standard fiberglass bows. I would frequently pick up a student instrument to either tune it or demonstrate something and always be disappointed in the response of the bow. They never felt right to me. They never sounded right to me. And, honestly, they just didn't work correctly for my students either. I never felt they produced a representative tone quality or allowed for appropriate beginning bow technique. They felt so clunky and really didn't appropriately meet the needs of my students. Honestly, I believe I grew to have low bowing expectations because of the limitations of those sticks. But, that was in the late 1980s.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2021, things have changed dramatically. There has been incredible advancement in the world of materials and construction when it comes to the bow. And, much of that advancement is a direct result of significant research done by my friends at</span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Codabow International</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In the old days, student bows were typically constructed from the throw-away wood that was unacceptable for "real" bow construction. If the piece of wood was faulty in some way, it would move to the student bow category. That simply isn't the case anymore. Through significant research, Codabow has ascertained there are really four primary variables that must be considered when creating a bow for any level of player from beginner to professional. And, with carbon-fiber construction, bows can be</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> intentionally designed</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and affordably manufactured and purchased, for students and players at every playing level. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The four variables at play are balance, weight, action, and stiffness. Balance impacts dynamics and is defined as the inertial center the player experiences while playing. In other words, the bow's resistance to changes in momentum. Weight is defined as the mass the player feels or senses when playing. Action is the nature of the string connection the player experiences. We sometimes think of this as touch. Finally, stiffness is the force required to flex the bow. Through their extensive research, Codabow has realized each of these factors plays a role in how the player connects the bow to the instrument. And, with different skill sets and expectations, the needs are unique for all players and levels of experience.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Imagine a </span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/products/prodigy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">beginning player</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who is using a bow that is designed specifically for maximum success based on their skill set, and not from a throwaway piece of wood. For instance, a beginner needs the balance to be tip favored, a little bit lighter, firmer action, and stiffer than a more advanced player. This allows for maximum control. The student gives up a little bit in the area of nuance or action. But, this doesn't matter. Nuance and action are not typically qualities that are important to a "twinkler." I am referring here to students who would be in Suzuki Books 1 or 2, for instance, or first and second year students in a school orchestra program.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the student moves into </span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/products/diamond-nx" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">intermediate repertoire</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the optimum bow is more center balanced, a little bit heavier, has a moderate action, and has a more moderate stiffness. This will allow for a more lively and articulate bow technique and experience. This bow would allow for a more relaxed bow hold, beginning double stops, some beginning off the string technique, and the beginning of a more expressive palette of tonal options. Think Suzuki Books 5 and 6, or standard high school orchestra repertoire.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the </span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/collections/diamond-collection/products/diamond-gx" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">string student who is diving deeper </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">into all of the possibilities of repertoire and technique, a bow with a more expressive and responsive feel becomes a true asset. The balance of the bow must be more frog favored, the weight will be heavier, the action should be more supple, and the student will desire a softer stiffness. These variables will be appreciated as the student works for more speed and agility in their bowing and a wider dynamic range. They will experience more power and beauty of tone when they're playing powerfully. This is the student who is learning the concerti and more advanced repertoire, playing in chamber ensembles, and participating in regional and all-state orchestra events. It also is ideal for the pre-music major or even an undergraduate music education or performance major. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For professionals, one can acquire a stick that caters to specific styles. If you are a </span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/collections/specialized-designs/products/joule" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rock or jazz player</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and want power and resonance from the lower strings and stunning projection from the top end, a specific set of variables will help you achieve this. For the </span><a href="https://www.codabow.com/products/marquisegs" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">professional orchestral player, chamber musician or soloist</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, exquisite handling and expressive sound once reserved only for the finest (and most expensive) master bows can be affordably achieved with intentional design.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bow technology has come a long way in the past 30 years. I am so grateful for the many opportunities my parents provided me as a young music student and developing violinist. With that said, I am certain these technological advances would have significantly changed my performance experience at every level. Intentional design and the application of science to the art of bowed string performance is an incredible advancement. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One word of caution. Not all carbon fiber bows are created equal. The time and effort taken to define these variables and implement them into bow construction changes everything. In other words, the material itself is not anything magical. It's how the material is used to build the bow and manipulate these four important variables. Trust the science. You will experience it in the feel and artistry of your playing and that of your students at every level.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Codabow experience now spans over 25 years and I can truly say that my playing has benefitted immeasurably from playing these bows. I play them exclusively on both my electric and acoustic violins and violas, and use them for every aspect of my musical life; playing contemporary styles, playing classical, indoor and outdoor gigs, teaching, demonstrating, and recording. I recommend them for students and seasoned professionals.</span></p><br /><br /></span>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-20352518806150561862021-07-24T14:54:00.000-07:002021-07-25T05:19:30.003-07:00My Violin String JourneyI feel like today is a good day to just give a little bit of history of my experience with violin strings over the years. I began playing the violin in 1971. Strings for bowed instruments have changed quite a bit in the last 50 years. (It's hard to believe that it's been 50 years! I should probably celebrate the anniversary in some way.)<div><br></div><div>My first recollection of strings as an important component of my violin set-up and playing really goes back to the mid-1970s. As a young violin student, I am sure that I broke a string here or there and needed to learn how to change them. Learning to change strings was something that happened about the same time I learned to tune strings. It's hard to even remember the process of learning. I do remember that in the 70s, we used (Pirastro) gut strings. I remember that new A, D, and G strings took forever to stabilize once they were on the instrument. And, I remember that after a few months of wear and tear, I could see and feel the string beginning to degrade under my fingers. I was fascinated by the notion that there was some kind of organic gut material in the middle of the string. I also remember that the E string stabilized much quicker then the others. I learned how to wind a perfect spiral up the peg and was pretty proficient at changing strings by the time I was 10 years old or so. </div><div><br></div><div>I got my first full size violin when I was about 12 years old. That would have been around 1977. I remember learning about synthetic strings at about the same time. My teacher told me about the new material which was an important innovation and encouraged me to try Dominant strings right around that time. My first impression was that they stabilized so much faster. It didn't take three or four days for my strings to settle down. They would stay in tune within a couple hours of solid practice. I, like many other violinists of my generation, grew to trust Dominant strings and the innovation that they represented. I, like many other violinists, also learned that the Dominant E string probably wasn't going to do the job. I struggled with the E string whistle for several years and eventually switched back to the Gold Label E string as a compliment to the A, D, and G Dominant strings. This became my setup of choice for many years. Like most everyone else, I did this at my teacher's encouraging, and really never questioned the strings I was using.</div><div><br></div><div>Fast forward to the late 1990"s. I was doing extensive work with Zeta Music Systems, the electric violin company. As part of that work, I found myself frequently in the company of Sandy Neal, who worked as the Brand Manager of D'Addario Bowed Strings. I was familiar with D'addario as a guitar string company but didn't realize prior to that time that they were now designing and manufacturing strings for bowed instruments. Sandy encouraged me to try D'Addario Strings and sent me a couple sets to try. If I am being honest, I was very hesitant to try them. (How good could they possibly be? After all, D'addario is a guitar string company!) I remember putting the Helicore strings on my violin and immediately feeling good about their tone, stability, and reaction to my playing. </div><div><br></div><div>Helicore violin strings are crafted with a multi-stranded steel core, resulting in optimal playability while producing a clear, warm tone. These strings are known for their quick bow response and excellent pitch stability, making them a go-to choice for players of all musical styles.<br></div><div><br></div><div>I also spent a good deal of time with D'addario Zyex strings on my violin.</div><div>Zyex violin strings are made from a a new generation of synthetic materials, which produce strings that are incredibly stable under drastic climatic conditions. Within a matter of hours, Zyex violin strings settle in on the instrument with a sound that is warmer than other synthetic core strings.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The Zyex strings were a little bit harsh on my violin and somewhat loud to my ear. Helicore, on the other hand, we're warmer and more subtle. They matched my style of playing and sounded great on my instrument. At some point, I settled on Helicore strings for my playing but I wasn't entirely happy with the E string. It had that same whistle as the Dominants and it didn't quite work for me. Within a few short years, D'Addario's non-whistling Kaplan E was introduced to the marketplace and it really did the job for me. I played Helicore strings with a Kaplan E for many years and really never looked back... until the introduction of D'addario's Kaplan Vivo strings. </div><div><br></div><div>I liked D'addario Helicore's so much that I eventually (~2003) entered into an Artist/Educator agreement with D'addario and galvanized the relationship which has been so pivotal in my teaching career to this day. Around 2015, I got a call from my friends at D'addario, encouraging me to give their new Kaplan Amo and Vivo strings a try and provide some feedback. </div><div><br></div><div>Kaplan violin strings offer professional-level players an unprecedented combination of beauty and power in two options, Kaplan Amo and Kaplan Vivo. Kaplan Vivo delivers brilliance, clarity, and a robust feel for darker instruments. Kaplan Amo violin strings, on the other hand, provide warmth, richness, and flexibility for brighter instruments. These strings settle quickly, exhibiting a rich tonal color palette and superb bow response. </div><div><br></div><div>My old German violin is certainly a darker instrument and the Kaplan Vivos really bring out it's wonderful character. It took me a while to get used to them, but I have grown to really love everything they offer me.</div><div><br></div><div>An important step in this process was gaining perspective of others in playing situations. I remember one day in particular that had a very strong impact on my decision. I play in my church very frequently. I have a dear friend, Leslie, who runs sound at the church. She has heard my violin for many years and knows the sound and character of the instrument. On the first day that I had the Kaplan Vivo strings on my violin, Leslie asked me if I had changed something on my violin. She told me that the instrument was cutting through the rest of the ensemble in a new and different way. She told me the sound was sweet and appealing, but different. That was a really encouraging comment and probably gave me the confidence to make the switch. She, a non-violinist, had noticed the upgrade. I felt really good about it.</div><div><br></div><div>After using Helicore's for nearly 20 years, this was a big change for me. But, the rich pallet of colors the Kaplan's offer, was a no-brainer change. I have fallen in love with these strings. </div><div><br></div><div>I still recommend Helicore's for all of my students. And, in fact, I use Helicore's on all of my electric violins. But, for my acoustic instrument, the Kaplan Vivo is my string of choice. </div><div><br></div><div>Choosing strings is a tricky process. It definitely takes time, patience, and a great deal of listening. I had the sound of Dominant's under my left ear for nearly 20 years. Then, I had the sound of D'addario Helicore's under my left ear for another 20 years. Making a switch feels odd. My instrument truly does sound different (better) with Kaplans. I have been using the Kaplans now for about 2 years and absolutely love them. But, it wasn't instant. It took some time of playing with the strings and listening for their detail and characteristics.</div><div><br></div><div>Let me encourage you to spend some time with a variety of strings. I love D'Addario strings in every way. Helicore, Zyex, Kaplan Amo, and Kaplan Vivo provide an amazing array of tonal choices and variables. In the end, I always know that D'addario is doing everything in their power to provide an amazing string experience for players of every level. I have so much confidence in their products and recommend them without hesitation.</div><div><br></div><div>By the way, I have grown to trust D'Addario strings for all of my instruments. I used them exclusively on my electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, mandolins, viola, electric violins, and violins. </div><div><br></div><div>Peace</div><div><br></div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-72818567452983604152021-06-26T09:12:00.003-07:002021-06-26T09:51:04.662-07:00Rearranging the Furniture<div>When I was a kid, I used to love to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. I would move the bed, my dresser, my stereo, and other important items in my life around to different places in the room about every 6 months. To me it represented something new, something different and fresh. And I always enjoyed walking in to a little surprise for the first week or so of the newly arranged furniture. When I moved into my first apartment, I did the same thing. About every six months, I would move things around. Now that we live in a house, have kids, and very busy lives, it doesn't happen as often. But, I still really enjoy the process of rearranging and redecorating. It keeps things fresh, less predictable, and a little bit exciting. My thoughts today are less about furniture specifically and more about changes in our lives. A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a pastor at my church. We were talking about some impactful personnel changes at the church and I told her about some other areas in my life where important people were coming and going. She said to me, "Wow! You are really rearranging the furniture right now!" Boy, was she right! I have thought about that comment a great deal since then. I have been keenly aware, over the past 18 months or so, that many of the stable friendships, relationships, and long-term pillars of my life have been shifting around a bit. This can be very disorienting. And, truth be told, it has been for me. But, in the midst of that shift, there is also good to be found. There can be excitement, daily surprises, and potential for a fresh start. Let me see if I can explain.</div><div><br></div><div><b>School and Work</b></div><div><br></div><div>At NCSSM, I have enjoyed a very stable set of collegial relationships within the Music Department for about the past 12 years. My dear friend Dave Stuntz has been our part-time Choral Director and collaborator for 15 years. Philip Riggs, Grammy Award-winning Music Educator, has been NCSSM's Band Director and probably my closest professional colleague for the past 12. The three of us are all about the same age and had developed an incredibly stable and comfortable working relationship and rhythm over the years. Phillip announced his retirement in January of 2019 (and came back to NCSSM on a part-time basis for the 2019-2020 school year before retiring fully in May of 2020). Dave retired from NCSSM in May of 2020. We ran a search and successfully hired two amazing music educators to fill these positions. Carolina Perez and Chad Cygan have turned out to be magnificent colleagues and will carry on the great traditions we have in the music program at NCSSM for sure and certainly create new traditions of their own. But, that doesn't mitigate the shock to the system of two of my best friends and peers moving on to the next phase of their personal and professional lives. It changed my everyday life in profound ways. </div><div><br><div><b>Blacknall Church</b></div><div><br></div><div>I didn't mention earlier that Dave Stuntz was also the long time Director of Music and Worship at Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham. I am a member of Blacknall and have participated fully in worship leadership as a violinist with Dave at the piano for the better part of the last 20 years. Dave also retired from Blacknall at the end of 2020. I was part of the search committee to replace Dave and we hired a wonderful music minister, Wen Reagan, to fill that role. Again, Wen is wonderful and I have enjoyed working with him so much. The church music program is in very capable hands. But, it is different. It is still sort of a shock to the system every time I participate in worship leadership. To top that off, the head pastor at Blacknall also retired this spring. Allan Poole has been a incredible leader of our church for many years. He was there long before we began attending Blacknall in 2001. His steady voice, deep wisdom, and steadfast faith have been a constant in our lives for the past 20 years. We and the church will miss him greatly. The church is certainly in good hands with the remaining staff and I am sure that another wonderful pastor will be selected by the search committee. That doesn't change the fact that my furniture is being rearranged.</div><div><br></div><div><b>ASTA & EL SISTEMA USA</b></div><div><br></div><div>Many of you also know that I am deeply engaged in the work of both the American String Teachers Association and El Sistema USA. Around the 1st of this year, Monica Schultz, the CEO of the American String Teachers Association, announced that she would be leaving to take another position. I served on the search committee for that position and was pleased to be part of the committee who selected Lynn Tuttle to take over at the helm of ASTA. Our organization is in good hands moving forward. Additionally, my dear friend, longtime colleague, and former orchestra student at ERHS, Katie Wyatt, has recently stepped down from her position as CEO of El Sistema USA. I am currently treasurer of that organization and have worked very closely with Katie for the past 15 years on both the work of El Sistema USA and before that, KidzNotes here in Durham. Katie and I will certainly stay in close touch following her departure from El Sistema USA, but still, the furniture is being rearranged. Incidentally, El Sistema USA has selected a wonderful interim CEO in Angelica Cortez, and that organization is also in profoundly capable hands moving forward.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Home and Family</b></div></div><div><br></div><div>Here at home, my wife and I celebrated the graduation this spring of our youngest son, Cael. He had a tremendous high school career and is ready for the next step in his life. But, for any of you who have seen your youngest child graduate and prepare for college, you know that it isn't easy to think about those big steps. Particularly for the youngest one. It is different when it is the last one. To top it off, he is going a long way from home. He will be attending St Xavier University in Chicago on a baseball and academic scholarship. We are so excited for him and for his future. But, it doesn't change the fact that my furniture is definitely being rearranged at home, too.</div><div><br></div><div>So, today I have been thinking a bit about rearranging the furniture in my bedroom back when I was a teenager. I always loved that feeling of newness when I would walk in the room after rearranging it. I loved that little surprise of things being different. Of course, we all need stability and predictability to some degree. But, in the end, we have to embrace change and find the positives in it. As for the changes at school, I am so excited about the future and these wonderful music educators who have begun to take the lead on our program at NCSSM in Durham. They are bringing new ideas and new energy to the program. I can now turn my attention to our new NCSSM institution opening in Morganton in the coming months. Additionally, I am able to grow as a leader and supervisor in my new role as Fine Arts Chair for the two institutions. There are a variety of surprises in my day and for now, many things are fresh and unpredictable. At church, there is new energy as well. I have been participating in the new worship band format and am really enjoying the process. We are learning songs and the congregation is being stretched with new ideas, a new way of doing things, and new leadership voices. While the search for a new pastor is only just beginning, this season will cause our congregation to stretch a bit. We will need to lean on each other more and the community will only grow closer. In my professional organizations, change is always part of the process. Boards change regularly. Volunteers change. Staff changes. Leadership changes. My personal goal is to continue to be a steadfast presence in these organizations and to make the change a little bit smoother. Here at home, the changes are simply part of family life. Kids grow up. Seasons change. As parents, we must savor each season but embrace the change when it comes. We must find the excitement in the new situation and embrace the possibilities. </div><div><br></div><div>Through social media, I have noticed many folks rearranging the furniture in their own lives. I am noticing so many job and career changes, marriages, babies, folks changing cities, buying new homes, and other important life changes. As your furniture is rearranged, I certainly wish you clarity to see the excitement of the new day and peace to accept the changes in your life. I will do my best to embrace the freshness of the newly rearranged furniture in my own life as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott </div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-64601881409321749552021-06-25T12:33:00.004-07:002021-06-26T04:19:19.351-07:00My Electric Violin Journey<div>It has been a little while since my last post. Wrapping up the school year and trying to finish up what has been a trying year of hybrid teaching at NCSSM has been my priority for the past several weeks. Finally, today I am finished with most of my teaching and administrative work at the school and have some time to sit down and write a bit. </div><div><br></div><div>I have wanted for some time, to give a little bit of my history with electric violins. For most of my readers, electric violins are simply part of everyday life as a teacher and performer. But for me, there has been an interesting journey which really starts back in the 1970s.</div><div><br></div><b>High school/college</b><div><br></div><div>Many folks know that my early training was in a modified Suzuki environment. I began playing violin at age 6 and was consistently enrolled in private lessons and youth orchestras throughout my elementary, middle, and high school experience. In junior high I became interested in the electric bass guitar and began playing in various rock bands from the age of 12 or so. I was a standard Rock kid of the mid-1970s, listening to Boston, Foreigner, Queen, Donnie Iris, and my favorite, Styx. WDVE, the rock station in Pittsburgh, was my radio station of choice and I could pick it up all the way out in Indiana, PA. At some point, I became very interested in the music of the rock band, Kansas. I loved their musicianship, intense lyrics, progressive rhythms, and of course the electric violin. I was thrilled to see them in 1978 or 1979 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. Of course, Robby Steinhardt playing electric violin captivated me. My parents also had bought me several Jean-Luc Ponty albums over the years and I was very familiar with his electric violin work through those recordings. By the early 1980s, I was in high school and playing bass guitar in a very good high school cover band which consistently performed around the Indiana, PA region. As part of that band, I really wanted to occasionally pull out a violin to play novelty tunes like the Bunny Hop, the Chicken Dance, and other similar songs which were expected as part of a party band's set list in those days. My parents purchased an old Sherl and Roth violin and we had a Barcus Berry pickup installed. I, like everyone who did that sort of thing, struggled with feedback and poor tone quality. It never sounded great and it really didn't feel right or fit my needs. At some point, that band ended and I went off to college to study music education. Throughout my undergraduate years, I focused much more on classical repertoire as a violinist. I played bass guitar in the college jazz band, but otherwise I really was strictly a classical violinist.</div><div><div><br><div><b>Palmyra Bluegrass and Believer</b></div><div><br></div><div>My first teaching position was in Palmyra, PA, as the district-wide string teacher. I taught string students from grades 3 to 12 and was there from 1987 to 1992. While in Palmyra, I was fortunate to host several residencies of great musicians through the innovative Authors and Artists Series which was run by faculty member, Jim Woland. (That is a story for another day.) One of those was with the Modern Mandolin Quartet. One of the huge impacts on me from those events was an introduction to bluegrass music. One of my significant accomplishments and strongest areas of impact in those years was the founding of the Palmyra Bluegrass String Camp. I didn't really know how to play bluegrass music, but I was very interested in learning and thought that my classically trained students would like to learn as well. Through that time, I began to lay some foundational groundwork for improvisation and also rubbed elbows with some wonderful bluegrass musicians. I still really didn't need any strong amplification in those years, but the experience played a part in my electric violin journey. </div><div><br></div><div>Another significant relationship in those years was my friendship that developed with Kurt Bachman. Kurt was a junior in high school when I arrived at Palmyra in 1987. He approached me and asked me if I wanted him to play guitar in the orchestra for his senior year. I wasn't sure how that would work, so I invited him to learn to play the cello instead. Kurt came to school in the summer to take cello lessons and joined the orchestra for his senior year. In the midst of that year, his metal band, Believer was signed to REX Records, and they invited me to play violin on their first record. Kurt and I wrote a cool introduction to the title track of Extraction From Mortality and I performed all of the parts to that intro on my acoustic violin in my first recording studio experience. Again, no electric violin yet. But this all laid the groundwork for what was to come. That album and song gained some national exposure and the band asked me to write and play on something for their second record. </div><div><br></div><div>In 1989, Believer released their second full-length album, Sanity Obscure, which featured a orchestral, operatic, epic take on the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) movement of the requiem mass. My sister, Julianne Laird, sang on that track and we again, garnered some national attention for the innovative work we were doing. You must remember that this was all before the S&M (Symphony and Metallica) projects and other similar metal /orchestral projects of the late 1990s.</div><div><br></div><div>By the time Believer set out to write and record our third album, my writing and playing was an important component of the Believer sound and reputation. We decided to write a extended metal/opera epic which we called Trilogy of Knowledge. Back in my Palmyra bluegrass days, through the Palmyra Authors and Artist Residencies, I had become good friends with Mike Marshall, the principal (and virtuoso) mandolinist in the Modern Mandolin Quartet. Mike and I had stayed in close contact and at one point I was telling him about my work with Believer. Mike mentioned that he had a Zeta solid body electric violin in a closet at home that wasn't being used. One day I came home from work to find a box with the electric violin in it. I called Mike to thank him and tell him I would return it as soon as I was done with it. He let me know it was a gift from him to me. This gift changed my life. I ended up using that Zeta Stratos on pretty much all of Trilogy of Knowledge which was released in 1993. That album, Dimensions, was nominated for a Dove Award and garnered a great deal of critical acclaim. It is still considered to be a groundbreaking album in the thrash metal genre. I'm very proud of the work that I did on that record, although I must admit, I was really just learning about solid body electric violins during that recording process. All of the effects processing and tone shaping on that record we're done after the initial tracking. I seem to recall that I recorded everything dry for accuracy and the sounds were added in during the mix down. </div><div><br></div><div><i>I have to add that the first time I plugged in my Zeta violin, I felt that I had finally found <b>my voice</b>. This is what I had been preparing for my entire life. I was in my late twenties and I knew that my musical journey had been positively altered forever. </i></div><div><br></div><div>Following the recording and release of Dimensions, I began experimenting more with the capabilities of electric violins. For a while, I played in an instrumental trio with Joey Daub (Believer's drummer) and Ted Hermanson on bass, who had engineered Dimensions. We were seeking to create a Jean-Luc Ponty type sound and I began developing some sensibilities for what the instruments could do. I bought a DigiTech multi-effects processor, a DigiTech harmonizer (DHP33), and a Lexicon Jamman which allowed me to do some basic looping. These tools for tone shaping became integral to my understanding of what the electric violin could do for me. A highlight of that band was a featured performance at a summer NAMM show in Nashville. A lowlight of that trip, however, was that my original Zeta violin which was given to me was stolen. That was a really tough pill to swallow!</div><div><br></div><div><b>IN THE CLASSROOM</b></div><div><br></div><div>One consistent thread in my teaching life has been the notion that things that inspire me musically will probably also inspire my students. This had happened with bluegrass music back in Palmyra and now I was living in the Washington DC suburbs, teaching at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD, and felt like electric violins might really inspire my students.</div><div><br></div><div>I started reaching out to The Zeta corporation about the possibility of some sort of sponsorship with my educational background as the centerpiece. I shared Believer recordings with them and told them that I thought I could be an asset to the company. At the same time, I began thinking about how I could share what I knew about electric violins with other educators. I applied to give a conference session at the Maryland Music Educators State conference sometime around 1995. I had never spoken at a conference before but I felt like I had something unique and valuable to share with my peers. Initially, Zeta was hesitant about me. I am not sure that they fully understood the music of Believer and they probably received lots of inquiries about sponsorships and had some level of caution. (Believer is heavy, fast, rhythmically complex, and features screaming non-melodic vocals.) When my conference session proposal was accepted for the Maryland Music Educators Association, I let Zeta know. I wanted them to know that I was going to move forward with or without their support, but I would love to show off some of their technology. When I had already set up this session, it peaked the interest of the folks at Zeta. I think this set me apart from the others. After a couple of phone calls and letters back and forth, we came to an agreement and I was now a sponsored artist with Zeta music systems. They sent me a little bit of equipment and I began working to fully master and understand their products. It is important to mention that this required a good deal of investment of my personal funds as well. They had an early MIDI controller in those days. So, I had to run out and buy a MIDI sound bank. I bought amplifiers, cables, effects processing, and other necessary tools of the electric violin trade. </div><div><br></div><div>On the day of my conference session, I remember that a famous speaker, Tim Lautzenheiser, was scheduled at the same time as me. Tim's room for his session had easily a thousand chairs set up. Mine had about 30. (By the way, he was so encouraging that day. He assured me there would be people there to hear what I had to say.) But, people came. I had a small but enthusiastic audience and my first conference session presentation was a success. I talked about how the electric violins worked, how MIDI worked with violins, and how these could be used in the traditional public school classroom. Again, a significant course had been charted in my life and for the next decade or more, I spent a great deal of time speaking with teachers across the United States about the technology and applications of electric violins in the traditional public school classroom. </div><div><br></div><div>While I was traveling around the country giving seminars on electric violins and their applications to the classroom, I met many wonderful people in the music industry. One significant friendship that grew out of that time was with Rich McKenzie, a sales representative for CodaBow International. Rich would frequently stop in my sessions and listen to what I had to say. At some point he handed me a CodaBow and asked me to give it a try. He thought it would be a great compliment to the electric violin. Boy was he right! I fell in love with CodaBows immediately. At some point during those years, I met Jeff Van fossen, the founder of the company. We all became great friends and I have played CodaBows exclusively ever since. I have walked with the company through thier development of many different bows and technologies. It has been such a pleasure to be part of their organization and associated with them over the years. They are the perfect compliment for not only my electric violins, but all of my instruments. </div><div><br></div><div>At one point in the late 1990s, I was working at Zeta HQ in Oakland California. Jean-Luc Ponty, another Zeta artist, was in town. I had the opportunity to meet him and talk for a while, and see his show that night. He was so generous with his time and treated me like a peer. Haha! One significant result of those conversations was that he suggested I use a viola bow with my electric violin. I made the switch to a Coda viola bow in those years and it really changed my sound. It gave me that heavy, beefy sound that Ponty is famous for. I used viola Codabows with my electric violin for many years until the Coda Joule was developed. It is designed for exactly the same thing in much more of a "violin bow" package. (See any of my posts on Intentional Design) I encourage everybody to give the Coda Joule a try if you are an electric violinist.</div><div><br></div><div>The following year, around 1996, my school invested in a quintet of Zeta instruments and we began working to create a groundbreaking Electric Zeta String Ensemble at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt Maryland. That group of students performed all over the Washington DC and Maryland area for a variety of events. Some highlights included: a performance of the national anthem for all Prince George's County teachers at the then Cap Center. It was a huge crowd and a huge success, a performance at the Rayburn Congressional Office Building on behalf of NAfME (then MENC), performances at the MMEA State conference, and many many others. </div><div><br></div><div>About this time, I was also experimenting with my own solo projects and particularly with looping technology. My work with the Lexicon Jam man had blossomed into quite a bit of solo material which incorporated guitar, bass, drum machine, and analog and MIDI electric violins. I became quite interested in recording technology as well and through my live performances and with the help of an ADAT studio in my home, I produced my first solo record, Freeway. Most of the songs on that record were built using my looping technology and could be performed live as well. I spent a great deal of time in the fall of 1998 performing at Borders Books and Music stores all over the greater Mid-Atlantic region. I sold a lot of CDs in those days and it was a great deal of fun. However, I must admit that when I go back and listen to that recording, it sounds dated. </div><div><br></div><div>In 2001 I took a new position at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham North Carolina. In those years, things at Zeta had slowed down a little bit and I could tell that my partnership with the company was probably coming to a close. This was not a bad thing, in my mind, because I felt I was becoming known only as the technology string teacher and it was very important to me that folks knew I was a traditional pedagogue as well. By 2002, Zeta and I parted ways and I focused on my guest conducting work and more traditional pedagogical seminars. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Durham NC and NC School of Science and Math</b></div><div><br></div><div>When I moved to Durham NC, I had no idea that I was also moving so close to the Electric Violin Shop, the worlds largest retailer of electric violins. They certainly knew me from my time and exposure with Zeta Music Systems and eventually we all became close friends. I began spending some time at the store playing all the different brands of electric violins. At some point, I told Blaise Kielar, the owner, that the only other company I'd ever consider working with was NSDesign Electric violins. I had met Ned Steinberger several years earlier at Berkeley's String Fling. He and I were both manning booths at the event. I for Zeta and Ned for his new company NSDesign. Traffic was fairly slow at the exhibits and we got to know each other pretty well. We had long conversations about music, ergonomics of electric violins, both of our backgrounds, and many other awesome topics. Ned is absolutely brilliant and I was honored that he was interested in my opinion about his instruments. Ned evidently remembered me and after my hiatus from the electric violin education scene for a few years, he reached out to me in 2005. </div><div><br></div><div>We agreed to spend some time together in coming months and see if this would be a good match. Without going into all of the details, the partnership between Ned Steinberger and myself was a home run! I immediately fell in love with the instruments. I loved the sound, the feel, the look, and everything about the company. To add to the serendipity of it all, NSDesign had a close relationship with D'Addario who had been long time supporters and sponsors of my work. Ned and I were a fantastic match in terms of our personality, interests, and mutual respect for each other. I entered into a partnership with NS Design at that time and it still goes on to this day.</div><div><br></div><div>In the coming years, I would be featured in NS Design advertisements and their blog, give numerous sessions at national and regional conferences on their behalf, and become a featured educator/artist for the company in many other ways. Ned would often call me for my opinion on new products or other ideas. I would lean on them for technical information and new ideas of how these instruments could be used and how I could articulate the science and engineering behind the technology to teachers.</div><div><br></div><div>I continued my live looping performances and released a second solo record in 2005 entitled Simple Gifts. By this time I was using a three phrase looper, the boss RC-50 Loop Station. This allowed me to create a chorus, verse, and bridge on the fly in my performances and toggle between the three as I was soloing with my electric violin. My live performance tool was taking me to the next level in terms of my writing and capabilities. </div><div><br></div><div>Over the next 15 years electric violins have remained a huge part of my teaching and performing life. I have been a featured soloist with a variety of orchestras including the Carolina Cool Jazz Orchestra on two different occasions performing my original music and arrangements. I have maintained a strong YouTube presence highlighting educational applications of electric instruments and my own performances as well. Electric violins have been a wonderful enrichment for my orchestra students at NCSSM. And, I continue to perform around the region with a variety of bands and as a solo artist with my looping capabilities. I now use the boss RC-300 Loop Station. It is an upgraded version of the three phrase looper that I began using back in 2005. I continue to speak at conferences around the country on applications of electric violins in the traditional string classroom. I am always looking for innovative ways to incorporate boat electric string instruments into my teaching and to share those ideas with others.</div><div><br></div><div>In the end, it has been an incredible journey with electric violins and it is really fun to look back on the progression. And, I have to say, I am not close to being done. Just in the past year, I have been experimenting with extended range strings, doing more multi-track recording, giving a ton of seminars for students, and giving many live performances. The possibilities really never end. </div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for taking this little walk down memory lane with me. Until next time...</div><div><br></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-29643632335002321342021-03-28T06:07:00.001-07:002021-03-28T06:08:20.289-07:00Mission Mentality<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Today is the last day of 2020.
Obviously, it's been a challenging year for everyone. There have been huge
health challenges for so many people across the world, income and economic
challenges for workers, teaching challenges for folks in education, learning
challenges for students across the world, social, racial, and political
division and mistrust, and certainly emotional challenges that accompany all of
these for folks in so many ways. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our world is in desperate need of
healing. And, individuals are in desperate need of direction, purpose, and
peace. This has been the topic of many conversations for me in recent days and
weeks. and I would like to share just a couple of thoughts as we move into
2021.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will begin with a quick story
about my college age son. He is currently a sophomore at the University of
North Carolina and has experienced his own challenges with the pandemic and all
the uncertainty which accompanies it. Last year, as a freshman, he made the
decision to become a leader in the Young Life program. As a Young Life leader,
he is tasked with leading Young Life activities and club meetings at a regional
high school. In addition, he will forge relationships with the high school
students who attend the meetings and endeavor to be a positive role model in
their lives. The Young Life leaders at his high school were very good to him
and he is giving back in a similar way. During his freshman year, when he was
deciding if this was a good activity for him, we had quite several deep conversations.
At one point, he told me that when you are a Young Life leader, you wake up
every day asking yourself, "How can I care for someone else today?" I
have thought about that quite a bit over the past year or so. I am not sure
that I could have said that when I was 20 years old. That is a pretty cool daily mission for a college sophomore.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My wife has been listening to a
the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7991963427960730757/2964363233500232134"><span style="color: blue;">Spotify Daily Quote</span></a> recently which
encourages folks to consider a quote and then expands on that quote to some
extent. Recently, the quote of the day was from reggae rapper, Bad Bunny. While the
quote itself doesn't have strong application to my thoughts today, the insights
that followed the quote precipitated some interesting thoughts for my wife. In
the pandemic environment, we like so many others have been home constantly. So
many of the daily tasks have become repetitive, mundane, and at times
laborious. The one that is hit her hardest has been cooking for our high school
senior son. He is an athlete and on a special high protein diet to build muscle
and strength. In support of that diet, my wife finds herself making baked
chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and white rice every day. His diet involves
five meals a day and the work to keep this specific food available to him is
never ending. It could easily become a very negative chore on her list. She was
explaining to me that it is so much more positive to view this to-do list as an
opportunity, rather than a chore. She mentioned to me that the concept of
chores was strong in her home growing up. And, it is so much more enjoyable to
accomplish things, rather than simply complete chores. Her mission, in this
task of cooking, is to support our son's athletic goals. Viewing those darn
sweet potatoes as part of a mission is a much healthier way to approach the
task.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I feel like I have been fairly
successful in this pandemic environment.
I have been able to maintain a positive attitude, starting each day with
a sense of joy. <b>The word I have used with regards to my work over the years is
mission, which brings me to the point of this essay. For me, approaching each
day with a mission mentality is an important key to happiness, fulfillment, and
a general air of positivity in my daily life. </b>When I approach my tasks as
mission, there is a much greater purpose. Mission implies importance. Mission
implies commitment. Mission speaks of doing something for the greater good
which is much bigger than one's self. I believe that we can find mission in
virtually every move we make during the day. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When I was a young man, I had an
awesome job at a local jewelry store in Indiana, PA. My work at the store began
as simply a way to make a little bit of extra money. I learned how to engrave
jewelry, do basic bookkeeping, and greet the public on the floor of the store. But,
after a period of time, the work at the store became more of a mission. I
became much more committed to my close friend who managed the store, the
ownership, and most importantly, to the mission of providing folks with
friendly service, reliable quality, and a trusted voice in their purchases. I
developed a true loyalty to the mission of the store and developed deep
relationships with the folks that taught me about the business. I approached my
job with a mission mentality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I finished up college and began
my teaching career, my first teaching opportunity was in Palmyra Pennsylvania.
I have written about it before, so I won't spend too much time on that work
here. But, suffice it to say, that I approached that work with a mission mentality.
The string program was quite small when I arrived at the school and I was
challenged to develop the string program for the school district. I had a
mission. It was clear. I committed to it fully and spent six years giving all
of myself to that mission. <i>(As a sidebar,
I was having a conversation with my son about success in the workplace
yesterday. I told him that I really believe that early in one's career, you must
commit fully and be willing to put in long hours, hard work, and not be
concerned about work-life balance so much. It's really not a popular stance in
today's society, but in 1987 that was the way we did things. It was the era of
the yuppie, long hours, and getting ahead quickly. I think this was seminal to
my commitment to mission mentality.)</i> My mission at Palmyra was successful
and other opportunities came quickly. I had a similar experience at Eleanor
Roosevelt high School and spent nine years there pursuing my mission before
coming to the North Carolina School of Science and Math.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the ensuing 20 years at NCSSM, my
mission has changed from time to time. Most recently, I have been named Fine
Arts Chair for the Durham and Morganton campuses. This is a new mission for me
and I'm really excited about whatever the future holds. We are currently in the
process of hiring administrators for the new school in Morganton and I am also
happy to be guiding two new music faculty members through their transition into
our school environment in Durham. I have a mission.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously, the mission changed in
March of 2020. Suddenly, the mission was to keep engaging students in Orchestra
and music while caring for them as individuals through the two-dimensional Zoom
environment. It is a tricky mission. And, throughout that time, to continue to
support my other Fine Arts colleagues, advance the school’s mission, and
navigate all of the stresses that go with working from home, family trials and
tribulations throughout the pandemic environment, and personal emotional ups
and downs. But, the great thing about having a mission is that one bad day
doesn't change the mission. In fact, in some ways, it can galvanize one's
resolve to do better in the future. That has certainly been the case for me. I
have found that my failures of today become my challenges for tomorrow. This is
the essence of mission mentality. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, I challenge you today to
consider what is your mission? What is your purpose? What do you hold in
highest importance in your tasks throughout the day? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe there can be multiple
answers to these questions. Some days, my mission is in family matters. I work
to be a good example to my kids, a partner to my wife, and a helper wherever
possible. Other days, my mission is in my art. I am practicing, writing new
music, recording audio guides for my students, generating blog or video
content, and other artistic endeavors. On the other days, I am a colleague, a
teacher, a friend, a student, a son. Yet, in all these rolls, I can have a
mission mentality. These roles and accompanying tasks are important to me. I
approach them with purpose. And, I try to approach them with joy and good
humor. As I often say in this blog, I am not perfect. I don't always achieve my
goals. Sometimes, I lose sight of my sense of mission. Sometimes the tasks in
front of me simply become chores. Those are my worst days. They are the days
that I feel unfulfilled, unhappy, or downright depressed. So, I try to keep the
days I lose sight of my mission to an absolute minimum.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Let me encourage you today to find
your mission. It requires some deep thought. What do you hold as truly important - so important that you are willing to dedicate your time, your heart, and thoughts. What is your true purpose? Certainly there are multiple answers to these questions. You are likely doing many of </span>these<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> things already. But, are you committed to them as your mission? Perhaps 2021 is your opportunity to refocus or refine your sense
of mission. Even the exercise of putting my thoughts in writing today has
provided that opportunity for me. I wish all of you the very best as we move
into 2021 and the continuation of the academic year. I know that so many of us
are growing weary of distance learning and the pandemic environment. Hang in
there! You have a mission. You can do this! </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Peace. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Scott<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-2917422217095257322021-03-12T06:05:00.000-08:002021-03-12T06:05:03.811-08:00SteadfastOne of my favorite words and concepts is "<b>steadfast</b>." Lately, that word keeps coming up in my thoughts and ruminations about life, the pandemic, and teaching. I don't know exactly when I started thinking about this word. But I do know that the first thought that comes to mind around the word steadfast is my father. My Dad, who is now 85 and still very active and had an amazing career in public education. He's one of the few educators I know who spent an entire 42-year career in the same school system. First he was an elementary teacher, then Principal, then Director of Elementary Education, Assistant Superintendent, and finally, was Superintendent of Schools in my hometown for the final 25 years of his career. He retired in 1997. Steadfast. But, it wasn't just in his longevity at one employer. He was in it for the duration from the beginning. He had enduring friendships and collegial relationships with virtually everyone I knew who worked for the school system. He was not only their leader, he was also their friend. He and my mom have been married for 66 years. Steadfast. He served the church for many years as a member of the session and for the last several years as Clerk of the Session. This was a leadership position that carries very little adulation and a great deal of influence and importance in the Presbyterian Church. He was steadfast for his church as well. <div><br /></div><div>So, what exactly does steadfast mean and how does it relate to my life today and the work that we all do in the midst of the pandemic?</div><div><br /></div><div>To be steadfast is to be resolute. To be steadfast is to be unwavering. Steadfast is firmly fixed and immovable, firm in belief, determined, and loyal. It's funny because I can remember times in my young life when I was criticized for being loyal. And, in fact, sometimes I was loyal to a fault. But that's okay. It has manifested as I have matured into a quality I am proud of.</div><div><br /></div><div>I truly desire to be steadfast in so many facets of my life and work. First and foremost, it is important that I am at steadfast member of my family. I have been married for 30 years and I can honestly stay that the longevity of our relationship and friendship is based on a common value of this concept. I also truly hope that my kids find my unconditional love for them to be steadfast. We don't go up and down based on daily actions, mistakes, or successes. The way I feel about my boys doesn't change from day to day. My love for them is steadfast. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm celebrating 20 years at NCSSM this year. To some extent, I feel like my work at the school has also been reflection of this value. There have been some hard days over the years. But there have been way more fantastic days. There have been some failures. But there have been way more successes. And, all of them are a direct result of this inclination to be steadfast. Have there been other opportunities that have come my way? Of course. But none of them seemed quite right. It felt much more natural to be steadfast. As I move into a new leadership role at my school, I truly do think about this concept as it relates to my work in guiding curriculum, faculty, and programs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like steadfast can also be a daily approach. Is my attitude unwavering? Is my approach unwavering? I guess no one is truly unwavering. We all have ups and downs, good days and bad. But, can I be generally consistent? This is my goal. Can I be steady? Predictable? Our role as educators is exactly this. Our students desire consistency. They need us to be predictable in the manner we communicate, teach, discipline, correct, assess, and interact. I really try not to get too high or low when things go well or poorly. Class didn't go well today? There is always tomorrow. A performance was exceptional? Excellent - that is what we were striving for! Now, what is next?</div><div><br /></div><div>As I approach the end of this academic year, I continue to seek to be steadfast. We are all getting weary of the pandemic and all of the inconveniences associated with its impact on education, learning, and life in general. But, in the midst of the storm, I will continue to try to be steadfast, unwavering, and consistent. And, when we get back to in person learning, I will do the same. I encourage you to consider this approach as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-21076795909187082012021-03-08T07:45:00.004-08:002021-03-08T07:45:57.016-08:00ASTA 2021: Relative Topics for High School String Teachers<p> First, I want to thank all of the ASTA Members who participated in the moderated discussion on Sunday on Relative Topics for High School String Teachers. It was a great discussion and it was my honor to participate and moderate!!</p><p>I promised that I would seek out some more information on longitudinal involvement in the arts as a benefit toward college admission. I will place it here as I find more.</p><p><br /></p><p>Check out this article as a start: <a href="https://www.ivywise.com/ivywise-knowledgebase/resources/article/why-extracurricular-activities-matter-in-college-admissions/" target="_blank">Why Extracurriculars Matter in College Admissions</a></p><p>Also this: <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2018-10-25/how-colleges-weigh-applicants-extracurricular-activities" target="_blank">How Colleges Weigh Extracurricular Activities</a></p><p>Finally: <a href="https://www.collegedata.com/resources/getting-in/what-do-colleges-look-for-in-students" target="_blank">What Do Colleges Look for in Students</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I believe that each of these articles will she some light on the process and give you some good talking points for your administration, colleagues, students, and families!</p><p><br /></p><p>I will post more as I have it.</p><p>Again, thanks for participating and I look forward to the next time!</p><p><br /></p><p>Peace.</p><p>Scott</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-16603854731751313782021-02-22T12:04:00.001-08:002021-02-22T12:04:11.364-08:00NAfME Orchestra Town Hall on Mission in Music Education<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was recently quite honored to be involved in a NAfME town hall to discuss our "Mission" as instrumental educators. The event was scheduled for Sunday, February 21st starting at 1:00pm (Pacific Time). </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9d2faab3-7fff-1c87-e4a1-ed4ecba767e9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The entire event was virtual and lasted a total of 2 hours. The first hour was a panel discussion facilitated as a webinar. Attendees were encouraged to submit questions and comments through the chat feature. In the second hour, everyone was able to join with their camera and microphones. The dialog was open to everyone in attendance! We continued with questions that were submitted during the panel and appropriately branch off into related topics fueled by the attendees. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the event, the panelists were asked to submit some of our thoughts in writing. I thought some of you may be interested as well. So, here are some of my responses from the Town Hall.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why are missions/philosophies important in contemporary American Education? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Missions and philosophies are important in contemporary American Education, in my opinion, for three specific reasons. First, they provide individuals guidance for daily decisions and positions. When one is under pressure or faced with a difficult decision, core philosophies or missions serve as an important compass for thoughtful individuals. They provide clarity in times of crisis. Next, they are an important factor in personal career and job fulfillment. For me, approaching each day with a mission mentality is an important key to happiness, fulfillment, and a general air of positivity in my daily life. When I approach my tasks as a mission, there is a much greater purpose. Mission implies importance. Mission implies commitment. Mission speaks of doing something for the greater good which is much bigger than one's self. Missions are honest and go beyond "chores or tasks" in our daily work. Finally, a sense of teacher mission can promote student buy-in and investment in the work and content of the course. Students sense honesty. Real learning isn’t about content delivery. It is about modeling. Our students are learning MUCH more than our content every day in class. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is YOUR mission as a music educator?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At its core, my primary mission is to serve as a musical and personal model for students. I seek to lead and serve in my every move as an instructor. I seek to love and care for my students and colleagues on a daily basis. But, in reality, my mission changes throughout the day. I seek to serve students as an example of Artist/Educator and I seek to promote and articulate concepts in functional and creative musicianship every day. I seek to model as an example of the term “steadfast.” I try to “move with purpose” throughout the day and bring tasks to completion. This goes hand in hand with my stated mission of “servant leadership.” I seek to build healthy unwavering relationships and promote honest, unbiased communication. Finally, another stated mission for me is to simply say “yes” to students whenever possible.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you craft your mission to best serve your community: what factors need to be considered, which factors are commonly overlooked? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe clarity of mission develops over a number of years and with thoughtful consideration. Our longevity in career and expectations of our position can help to clarify our mission as well. For me, early in my career, my mission was to become the best and most knowledgeable pedagogue I could possibly be. In the end, I was developing the tools of teaching during this time period. I was teaching in central Pennsylvania for 6 years and was charged with building a string program in my community. The next phase of my career was about 10 years in suburban Washington DC. I stepped into a position where the expectation was strong string and orchestra ensembles. So, my mission centered around conducting, building ensembles, and building community among my students. For the past 20 years I have been at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Here, my mission varies significantly. I have many roles at my school and must nimbly move between them. I seek to serve as a model teacher, leader, colleague, mentor, and guide. When I apply my priorities and philosophies to the practical responsibilities of my everyday work the mission develops.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How are models for instruction supported/limited by your mission?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are so many examples of this. The mission of modeling functional musicianship as an artist and articulating this as an educator guides virtually all of my pedagogy. This is outlined in detail in </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7991963427960730757/6326745961181480903#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ensemble Musicians Taxonomy of Mental Habits</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on my blog, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7991963427960730757/6326745961181480903#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Thoughts of a String Educator.”</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I also believe that many of my models for instruction are supported by my mission to “Just say yes”, and “servant leadership.” For example, I model performance practices all the time and frequently demonstrate on my instrument in class. This is a direct reflection of a servant leadership model. </span></p><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, I would love to share my recent blog post, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7991963427960730757/6326745961181480903#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Mission Mentality"</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> here as well. It was written just a few weeks before I was asked to serve on this panel. Some readers may find it interesting.</span></span>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-44333897608025211462021-02-07T11:00:00.001-08:002021-02-07T11:00:13.230-08:00Trying To Be BetterAs we start the second semester, I am coming off a period of reflection throughout the winter break and January term. When we finished up the first semester of the school year, I felt quite good about the results of my planning and instruction throughout the fall. Teaching in this remote and hybrid environment is difficult. My Orchestra managed to put together some incredible virtual performances and, on the whole, I feel like I met the needs of my students. With that said, I know that I can be better. I have been reflecting on areas for improvement for the past two months or so and was able to outline some changes for the spring term to my Orchestra at our first rehearsal last Tuesday. I would like to share some of those changes today, in hopes that one or more of them may resonate with you or you may be compelled to consider how you can be better as well as we head into the spring.<div><br></div><div>First, many of you know that I have been creating audio guides for my students to use remotely in lieu of a conductor. To create these guides, I record all five parts of the string orchestra score using my electric violins. I have written and spoken about these guides extensively in the past. Even with the success of those guides, I have felt that I could probably do more. So, one of the changes I am making this term is, in addition to the full string orchestra audio guide with click track, I will be providing students with their individual part with click track. I am anxious to see how this impacts student performances. One or two students have already told me that there were sometimes rhythmic questions when they only heard the full ensemble audio guide. The individual recorded parts will permit students to zero in on their part, associated styles, articulations, specific intonation, and other aspects of the piece. I will provide these at full tempo and at reduced tempi for further customized practice opportunities.</div><div><br></div><div>Another addition to my instructional model will be weekly videos outlining specific performance practices for the pieces we are learning and performing. Obviously, I gave this type of instruction through Zoom last semester. But, one would have had to dig through the Zoom recordings to find those specific instructions. This term, I will make a Youtube video for each voice in the Orchestra, outlining performance practice, dynamic considerations, tricky fingerings or passages, and potential use of essence for students who may not have the technical capabilities or confidence to fully perform a section or passage within the piece.</div><div><br></div><div>Another change or addition for second semester will be an increased live chamber experience for on-campus students during our Tuesday night rehearsal time. Due to the large size of our ensemble and the split nature of our rehearsals, I kept Tuesday nights as fully remote classes and group lessons. After some thoughtful conversations with our choral director, we decided to combine my string class and his choral class together in small chamber ensembles during our common Tuesday evening rehearsal time. Singers will be masked with special singing masks and separated with plexiglass drum shields. The masked strings will double vocal parts. This will provide a small facsimile of the live ensemble rehearsal for small groups of students. We are hopeful that this opportunity to play and sing together will be meaningful for everyone.</div><div><br></div><div>Another change for this term will be a stronger plan for individualized performance and grading expectations. Last semester, I noticed a subset of the Orchestra did not complete all of the recorded performance expectations. Following my individual meetings with students, it became clear that some students felt overwhelmed as the semester went on. So, for this term, I will have a set of basic universal repertoire for everyone to learn and submit. This will include primarily Grade III and IV repertoire that is straightforward to learn and record. Then, there will be several additional, more challenging pieces which students can opt into playing. Following my individual meetings with students, I was pleased that about 75% of the orchestra indicated an interest in playing all of the repertoire. But, for the 25% that requested a lighter load, it is my pleasure to offer this alternative. Recording for a virtual ensemble experience can be stressful for some. I want to make sure that I honor these various levels of stress and the various amounts of time it may take for students of different playing levels to prepare a piece of music. This more individualized plan is a step in the right direction, I believe.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally, I intend to meet individually with each of my students more regularly this term. At the very least, I would like to have another 10 minute check-in at midterm and again at the end of the semester. As I indicated in my last post, these opportunities for personal interaction are invaluable. </div><div><br></div><div>I believe each of these slight changes in my plan for the second semester will pay huge dividends. What changes are you making as we begin the second semester? What worked during the first half of the year? What needs a little tweak? These are always important questions for us as teachers. I am certain that I will have new ideas as we finish this semester also. This is the beauty of teaching. We are never finished. We never have all the answers. I firmly believe that we can always do better. I invite you to consider these questions as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Here's to a great second semester and a great spring.</div><div><br></div><div>Peace. </div><div>Scott</div><div><br></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-53197040480751775992021-02-07T07:32:00.001-08:002021-02-07T09:03:56.600-08:00The 10-minute Check-InAt NCSSM, we have just completed the first week of the second semester. We continue to operate on a low density hybrid model during the pandemic. Students were remote this week but half of the student body will be returning to school today and stay for 5 weeks. At that point, they will go home and the other half of the student body will come to campus. Our first semester was quite successful from a health and program standpoint. I believe there was only one reported student case of Covid-19 throughout the fall among our student body and our administration is hopeful that, with our strong protocols, we can continue that positive trend.<div><br /></div><div>Our first Orchestra meeting of the term was last Tuesday night. Class was largely administrative and organizational. While the students were fully remote for the week, I decided it would be a great idea to have a 10-minute check-in with each individual member of the Orchestra this week. I have about 40 members of the group right now and attrition was quite low from first to second semester. I count myself as fortunate. I know the trends across the country have not been so positive. So, I created an asynchronous assignment for our remaining two classes of the week and scheduled individual meetings with each member of the orchestra during those class times. (This is one of the positive aspects of remote and hybrid teaching. I have such an incredible amount of control over the way I use my class time. This autonomy has proven to be quite beneficial in a number of cases. This week was certainly one of them.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I have found these meetings to be wonderfully connective in our remote world. They have provided me an opportunity to ask students how they felt about first semester, their goals for second semester, ways that I can accommodate them individually, and also ask a little bit about their current stress and anxiety levels. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was quite pleased to learn that nearly everyone felt we did about the best we could during first semester. While not the same as actual Orchestra rehearsals, our virtual-orchestra format seemed to work for my students. They provided positive feedback on my approach, the tenor of the class meetings, musical instruction, and alternate assignments. I asked each of them about their musical goals for second semester. I was pleased most had very lofty goals. Many seniors told me that the fall was full of stress for them due to college applications and they are looking forward to a stronger personal investment in Orchestra for the second semester. How great to hear that from them personally! </div><div><br /></div><div>I asked every one of them what I could do for them personally. Could I provide them more technique instruction? More musical challenges? Could I provide a more individualized plan for them? I really want each of them to know that I care about them personally and not just as one of a large group. Again, responses were generous. Most students felt that they are noticed and are cared for both musically and personally as part of the Orchestra. I was also pleased to learn that the orchestra community is strong. Many students told anecdotes of conversations between students after class about best practices for recording their part, practicing their part, and participation in this new orchestra format. This made me so happy. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps the most important result of these meetings is simply personal connection. It was so great to share a smile with students whom I have grown to care for so deeply. I had the opportunity to ask about their winter break and J-term courses. Several students told me about their research and mentorship programs and other academic interests. I had the chance to ask seniors how their college application and acceptance process is going. Many juniors offered stories about research programs they have recently been accepted to. We also had a number of interesting conversations about the repertoire I selected for the fall and for the upcoming spring semester. Students offered feedback regarding the difficulty, diversity, and style of the pieces. It always makes me happy when students are thinking deeply about choices I make for the ensemble. This is clearly happening, even in the current remote and hybrid format of the NCSSM Orchestra.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, these individual meetings will pay huge dividends for the musical community and musical product of our Orchestra this spring. I feel like each student was able to give me the feedback I need to be the best possible instructor at this time. I also truly believe that the personal connections that have developed between me and my students will will last well beyond their high school years. These are wonderful human beings who are on their way to great successes in many different fields. I am so honored to be their instructor and to provide them insights not only to orchestral music, but into a fulfilled life and career. My charge and mission is clear as their Orchestra director. I believe this to my core. And these individual meetings will only enhance the way I can connect with these students throughout the rest of the spring.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I encourage you to consider meeting with each of your students for a few minutes. Ask them how you have done so far this year. Trust me, it won't hurt. They appreciate your work. Ask them how you can serve them throughout the rest of this year. Again, the responses they will give you will be thoughtful and much deeper than you expect. Ask them where they would like to improve. My guess is they have a strong concept of their areas of strength and weakness both personally and musically. Finally, ask them about something unrelated to your class. Ask about college applications, current successes, recent disappointments, and anything else that they may care about. That note of personal connection in this time of separation might just be what they need today. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let's all keep going. You've got this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace. </div><div><br /></div><div>Scott</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-2996872309540190782020-10-29T06:57:00.000-07:002020-10-29T06:57:01.745-07:00A Letter to My Orchestra Students<span id="docs-internal-guid-4387ceca-7fff-87e6-1ecd-1ec33b2eba18"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we are winding down the month of October, in the midst of a pandemic and hybrid teaching and learning, I am compelled, this morning, to write a letter to my students. I certainly hope that they have a sense of how much I miss regular orchestra rehearsals and our music department environment. Hopefully, this letter will say a little bit of what I am feeling today.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Orchestra Students, </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hey folks. I wanted to drop you a note today just to get a few things off of my chest. Rehearsals are so fast and feel so distant as a result of masks, zoom, some folks in the room and others across the state of North Carolina and a general environment that is strange and different. This feels like the best forum to say a few words as we are closing in on the end of our first semester.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, I know I probably don't have to say this, but</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am sorry</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I am sorry that we all find ourselves in this situation. I am sorry that I can't provide a more authentic orchestra experience for each of you. You seniors deserve better. There are so many strong leaders in the room and you deserve a real senior year orchestra experience. You juniors deserve better, too. You came to NCSSM with an expectation of a high-level orchestra experience and in many ways I just feel that I can't provide that. I know it's not my fault, but I want you to know that I am sorry.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I truly wish that we could play the great orchestral repertoire that I try to program every year. We are so handcuffed by the hybrid environment. I wish that each of you could feel the amazing wave of sound that washes over each of us during rehearsals and performances. I wish that you could get chills down the back of your neck as we make a great release or an amazing crescendo together. I wish that we could share smiles without masks in between our faces. I wish that you could have the experience of interacting with me and each other as thinking, caring, feeling musicians. And, I wish that we could share our common love for music, the arts, and expression together in an orchestra, the way we are used to doing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wish each of these things, but I am also aware that they probably aren't coming back this year. We are in a pattern that probably isn't going to change in the next few months and that makes me sad.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, even though I am so sorry about these things. I want to be sure that you know what I am trying to do as part of the orchestra and our class each day.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I want you to know that I will not give up.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I want you to know that there are very clear goals for me and for us as an ensemble. I am truly trying to provide orchestral playing concepts and help you galvanize beliefs about string technique, orchestral playing, and the ensemble environment. I am truly trying to help you expand your knowledge of strings, repertoire, and orchestral playing. I am truly trying to keep class fun, informative, and interactive. I am trying to individualize and provide more advanced experiences for some and more rudimentary experiences for others. I really don't want to stress you out. I really don't want to give you too much to do. I simply want to keep music as part of your life on a daily basis. I want to keep the beauty of orchestral music and the inspiration of playing your instrument as part of a large ensemble part of your experience at NCSSM. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, in short, please hang in there with me. It is my goal that we keep your hands on an instrument throughout your time at NCSSM. I truly hope that Orchestra provides you with a little break in the otherwise crazy busy schedule of NCSSM. I truly hope that you find your friends and community in and around the orchestra. I truly hope that you find my smile and positive attitude to be an outpost in the midst of an otherwise uncertain and unstable world in which we live.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please know how very much I care for each and every one of you. I care about your musical development. I care about your personal happiness. And I truly care about your time at NCSSM. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I certainly know that creating virtual ensembles is not the same as a true orchestral experience. But, you are doing a great job with it. I am so pleased with your attitude and your commitment to the cause. Let's finish this semester strong. And we will continue to do all we can to lead and express through the arts and orchestra at NCSSM for the rest of this school year.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peace,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S Laird</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-74114805832124510832020-09-09T05:42:00.016-07:002020-09-09T16:41:05.147-07:00NCSSM Orchestra: My Plan for a Hybrid "Low Density" Approach<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Now that we are a little over two weeks into the 2020-2021 academic school year, it feels like a good time to reflect a bit on the opening of school and the plan that I have created for my orchestra class moving forward this year. Obviously, with a global pandemic and many schools operating either remotely or in a hybrid model, most music educators and ensemble directors have been forced to re-examine their plan for rehearsal, performances, and their priorities for music students and classes. I am, obviously, no exception. As I begin my 34th year of teaching, I am aware that these are uncharted waters and that I need to re-examine many aspects of my ensemble teaching. My school, the North Carolina School of Science and Math, as many of you know, is a boarding school. We host 680 students each year in grades 11 and 12. They come from across the state of North Carolina and all attend on full scholarship. Students are selected to attend our school based on their grades, SAT scores, rigor of their past high school program, and interest in science and mathematics. Every congressional district in our state receives a minimum quota of placements. So, there are no socioeconomic barriers to attending our school. Furthermore, our admissions team works very hard to promote diversity in our student body. The academic program is very rigorous and students who attend are excited to learn. All music ensembles have only one prerequisite: previous musical experience. So, the ensembles have a very eclectic mix of playing levels and experience. The common denominators are a desire to excel and a high level of academic achievement. I have about 40 strings in the orchestra this year. Like many of you, we are heavy on violins. (So, I am encouraging all violins to play both the 1st and 2nd violin parts, and even learn the viola if they want.) I am fortunate to have a wonderful students every year in the orchestra.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">NCSSM is operating on a low density model this year. Half of our student body is on campus and the other half is at home across the state. The cohorts will switch in October so that everyone has an opportunity to live on campus at some point this semester if they desire. Our registrar has worked hard to create relatively even cohorts. But, as you may imagine, some classes are skewed heavily to the remote or residential side. In any given class, I will have some students attending remotely and others in person. So, as I plan for any orchestra rehearsal, there is a technology element to work with or around.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I strongly believe that the best pedagogy starts with a system. I try to be very predictable in my teaching. I also operate best with sequential plan for instruction. I try to be articulate with my students about the values that I am bringing to my course and syllabus. My first step in devising a plan for this school year was to look closely at my syllabus, determine which elements of a traditional orchestra experience could be kept front and center this year, and also determine the elements that needed to be put aside for a little bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, what elements are in and what elements are out? First, let's discuss those that stay. A number of years ago, I put together a <a href="https://ncssmstrings.blogspot.com/2017/09/ensemble-musician-taxonomy-of-musical.html" target="_blank">Taxonomy for The Ensemble Musician</a> on this blog. I encourage you to go back and check it out. I feel strongly that many of the elements outlined in the taxonomy are eligible for discussion even in the remote ensemble environment. Rhythm, pitch, dynamics, phrasing, accurate intonation, musical nuance, articulation, and many other skills can be developed during this time. Some things that will hold a significantly lower priority this year include watching the conductor, listening across the orchestra, developing rubato, live performance practice, and other similar skills and concepts. Obviously, for the time being, we will not be preparing for live performances. Furthermore, I do not foresee having my entire ensemble in the same room for at least the rest of this calendar year. Honestly, I believe it will be longer. So, we will be focusing on recorded remote ensembles. In the recorded remote environment, there is an added benefit of students listening to their own recordings, getting familiar with recording technology along with learning about the different type of stress involved with recording. These are new additions to the syllabus that match our current situation. Our goal will be to create a number of remote ensemble recordings throughout the upcoming year. We will begin with simple, short chorales and move sequentially towards more difficult (and diverse) repertoire. Initially, the priority is to get used to the system of rehearsing and ultimately performing a remote recording of an orchestral piece. As we move through the term, the difficulty of the repertoire will increase and we will endeavor to advance many string technique skills along the way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In order to do this in an orderly fashion, I have developed a weekly plan to keep things organized. Here's how I am operating: I have three rehearsals per week. On Tuesday evening I have a 100 minute rehearsal with the entire ensemble in the room. On Wednesday and Friday, my Orchestra is split into two sections. On these days, we have 50 minute </span><span style="font-size: large;">classes. Tuesday night large rehearsal is primarily content delivery only and is fully remote. In this rehearsal, I am primarily giving notes on the repertoire at hand. In addition, I am planning to invite guest speakers to a number of these Tuesday evening rehearsals. I will be focusing on inviting alumni who have gone on to careers in both music and other areas. This long rehearsal is at the end of a long "Zoom" day for everyone and I am trying to keep class light and fun, but full of important content and business. Students are expected to have their instruments and parts out and take very complete notes in their parts. Wednesday is my most rehearsal-like time. There is two-way interaction throughout the class period. Everyone is playing, both those who are on site, and those who are remote. The hardest thing about these rehearsals, quite frankly, is trying to articulate directions and instruction through the mask. I find that I am speaking way too loudly and my voice gets quite fatigued by the end of the day. Fridays will be asynchronous with time for students to practice and seek individual assessment from me. I know it is odd and complex. But, after 2 weeks, I think the plan is going to work.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Just so everyone understands: <a href="https://ncssmstrings.blogspot.com/2020/09/audio-guides-and-value-of-direct-input.html" target="_blank">I am creating recorded "audio guides" for every piece.</a> They include all the parts and a click track. There will be no conducting in this environment. It is all done to a pre-recorded audio guide. It takes me awhile to create these audio guides, but it can be done and I am actually really enjoying the process. This also allows for me to play all of the parts for the recording and become familiar with the tricky passages, opportunities for alternate fingerings, misprints in parts (who knew there were so many!), and other performance issues. Yesterday, I created a complete audio guide for Fanfare and Frippery No. 2, by Richard Stephan. It took me a couple of hours and I was able to present it to my class last night. As we rehearse with these audio guides, we will focus on the stuff we CAN do: intonation, technique, accurate rhythm, musicianship, and the fun/magic of recording. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Additionally, there is lots of student choice and opportunity here as well. The recorded environment is not for everyone. There can be a great deal of anxiety associated with recording a part and playing alone. Many students take ensemble music so that they don't have to be put on the spot individually. We recognize this at NCSSM and are trying to honor that situation as we move through this unprecedented time. If a student is freaked out by this plan and process, they can take a left turn to something they want/need to learn, such as vibrato, third position, shifting, scales, etc.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There is another very important element to all of this. Relationships are the most important thing. I say every student's name at least once a class. I ask how their day is. I acknowledge and encourage good humor. Our children are craving connection. It is our most important job as music instructors. The content follows the relationship.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, you now have a much better feel for the plan I have created period what are your thoughts? How are you approaching ensemble music during remote or hybrid learning? What barriers have you encountered? I hope to hear from you and wish you all the best as you generate your plan for the upcoming school year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Peace and good health.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Scott</span></p>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-2599544676945822852020-09-04T14:10:00.003-07:002020-09-09T16:50:56.070-07:00Audio Guides and the Value of Direct Input with NS Design Violins<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pKV2iICB5AoTdChwQT1t6oa_Z3mapMF-S7IzecBZtJhyphenhyphenIzR2_gPyC-_bYY_1lIdyGbQidro1va1BCKBWNgeNK4TxAPfakeiCo5OzcWjvgEtm9nqwL_cAHhvydNmMEOzmNDWPhQh6ytE/s1200/nsdesign2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pKV2iICB5AoTdChwQT1t6oa_Z3mapMF-S7IzecBZtJhyphenhyphenIzR2_gPyC-_bYY_1lIdyGbQidro1va1BCKBWNgeNK4TxAPfakeiCo5OzcWjvgEtm9nqwL_cAHhvydNmMEOzmNDWPhQh6ytE/s320/nsdesign2.jpg" /></a></div>As I begin to navigate the world of orchestra in a pandemic driven hybrid learning environment, I am developing some important strategies for keeping my students engaged and maintaining many of the values of the scholastic orchestra environment. I truly believe that it is our duty to keep and promote as many as possible, of the standard musical priorities we have always had in the orchestra classroom. Some of those values include: accurate rhythm, accurate intonation, intentional phrasing, bow placement, articulation, attacks and releases, the orchestra community, and many others. I learned quickly that the art of conducting is not super valuable when I have half of my class in person and the other half participating via Zoom with a significant delay. So, I have pivoted to selecting repertoire that is relatively metronomical and creating accompanying audio guides for use in rehearsal and the remote ensemble recording environment. <div><br /></div><div>These are recordings of all the string parts from the repertoire we are preparing with the addition of a click track or prominent metronome guide. I create these guides as part of my planning and use them to keep everyone playing together in rehearsal. Rather than conducting, I play my instrument and demonstrate freely throughout the rehearsal. As a result, I have needed to record string tracks quickly and cleanly in a very efficient way. I have found that the best way for me to do this is by using my NSDesign CR5 electric violin connected directly to my computer through a standard audio interface. The 5-string violin through a direct input allows me to get a very clean signal with very little background noise, magnificent tone, extraordinarily stable tuning, and a consistent balanced audio recording product. The 5-string violin allows me to record viola parts without changing instruments or my finger spacing. I simply play cello parts an octave up and then lower the octave electronically after the fact. For the bass lines, I use a fretted NSDesign Radius bass. The frets provide nearly perfect intonation and help to guide a rhythmic performance with specific articulations. In other words, the bass guitar keeps things from getting tonally or rhythmically ambiguous.</div><div><br /><div>For those of you that haven't recorded with a solid body electric violin in a direct input environment before, there are many benefits to this action. First, as I stated earlier, the NSDesign CR5 provides a smooth accurate tone quality. It truly sounds like an acoustic violin, even when there are no added effects. I can recording completely in headphones if I choose. Or, as I prefer, I can record though the sound of speakers, which I could not do if I was using a microphone and my acoustic instrument. Second, during the recording process, a little bit of extraneous noise or talking will not bleed into the recording. This allows me to record at my home while other things are going on and even allows me to count rests out loud or shuffle about my studio during the recording process as necessary. I mentioned stable tuning earlier. One of the great benefits of the NSDesign electric bowed instruments is the proprietary tuning mechanism and the fact that once in tune, these instruments rarely slip or change open string intonation. This is a great benefit while recording. I check my tuning early in the recording session and can generally count on those open strings staying very stable for hours, if not days! And, when creating audio guides, we really do want the intonation to be very consistent.</div><div><br /></div><div>What equipment do I need to make this happen? It is all pretty simple. I have the CR5 electric violin, a quarter inch phone plug connecting it to an audio interface. I use a Protools system with the Digi 003 interface. But, at school I frequently use the Lexicon Omega Studio interface system which is no longer produced. In the end, there are many audio interfaces available which are relatively inexpensive. All you need is a mono, quarter inch input which connects to your computer by USB. Today, most of these systems are pretty intuitive and your digital audio workstation software will find the hardware automatically.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I use Avid Protools as my digital audio workstation, this works just as well with Garage Band on Mac and with Audacity, the free open source DAW used by millions. The CR5 sounds great though any interface and in any digital audio workstation environment.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hONXJ0yJ1EIINq1RdeIDh1jlSKPnnE8c/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Here is one I created quickly this week for a Chorale warm-up we are using. It is the famous St. Anthony Chorale.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I hope that this is helpful. Please keep an eye for another post in coming days which will go into more depth of my thoughts on hybrid teaching and learning as well as a bit more on our environment at NCSSM this fall.</div><div><br /></div><div>For now, take care and stay healthy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Peace.</div><div>Scott</div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7991963427960730757.post-42014931009536869162020-05-28T07:03:00.012-07:002020-05-28T08:11:12.014-07:00Rev. Thomas Prosser and Westminster Highlands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa2FQKrYE9HrbojDthtlmMiaeXMrfL344gCdYdTwpkI3jsS-l3JJUtAapKO_XzpL3gIok_uksyh5vAo3ZrBViCpgt5VHclb-lVLdCgclrBC6M0Br9sfHxmXAKVPPAfglBsBiyQ_yRT8o/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa2FQKrYE9HrbojDthtlmMiaeXMrfL344gCdYdTwpkI3jsS-l3JJUtAapKO_XzpL3gIok_uksyh5vAo3ZrBViCpgt5VHclb-lVLdCgclrBC6M0Br9sfHxmXAKVPPAfglBsBiyQ_yRT8o/s320/westminster+highlands.jpg" /></a></div>I learned today of the passing of Reverend Thomas Prosser of Emlenton PA. Throughout my childhood, Reverend Prosser was the Director of Westminster Highland's Presbyterian Church Camp in Emlenton. Westminster Highlands holds a very important place in my life in terms of my development in many ways. I had so many magnificent experiences there throughout my childhood and Rev. Prosser is part of nearly all of them. He was a fixture at the camp every time I went there and certainly was, for me, a trusted adult and role model as I grew into my adult self and belief system.<div><br /></div><div>To say that I spent a lot of time at Westminster Highlands over the years is not an exaggeration. My family would take our travel trailer to camp in the family camping area every Memorial Day and Labor Day along with five or six other families from my parents' Bible study at Graystone Church in Indiana PA. I attended a standard summer church camp there every summer. (I think it was called Camp Calvin, in good Presbyterian form!) In the early 1980's, Westminster Highlands initiated a MAD camp standing for Music Art and Drama. Of course, I was drawn to this camp and attended it for two or three summers. And, in addition to all of this, my youth group from Graystone Church would go to Westminster Highlands for a week, early in the summer, to do odd repair jobs around the facilities in preparation for the upcoming summer season. So, in any given summer, I could have ended up spending between 1 and 4 weeks at Westminster Highlands. I loved everything about going to camp there. </div><div><br /></div><div>First, on our Memorial and Labor Day weekend trips, it was always so social. There were typically five or six families all staying in our travel trailers. The weekends would be filled with campfires, softball games, swimming in the freezing cold water of the pool, Hoopie rides (an old dune buggy that was a fixture at camp), and hikes on the huge boulders and swimming in the creek. The boulders on the camp property are absolutely amazing. They are the size of large buildings and have multiple hiking and climbing opportunities all over the place. They can definitely be dangerous, but as a adventurous kid, they presented endless possibilities for climbing and excitement. I just remember those family weekends as being full of laughter and happiness. These were good family friends with lots of kids around. My friends Norm Murdock and Shawn Taylor were a big part of those weekends for me. We had grown up together in church and school. These weekends of hiking, swimming, campfires, and goofing off just deepened our friendships even more. There were other families, too, in addition to the Murdock's and Taylor's, including the Gibson's, Stahlman's, and others. It was so much fun getting to know older and younger brothers and sisters of my friends and just being part of a amazing communal experience. I remember it would drive my mother crazy that I loved to eat with other families and try their food. Mom liked for us all to stay together at mealtime. I wanted to see how other folks lived. I just found the whole experience to be so exciting.</div><div><br /></div><div>The traditional camp experience was different. My parents would make the three-hour trek from Indiana, PA to Emlenton, drop me off ,and I would meet a whole group of new kids that I had never met before; just like every other kid who ever went to church camp. There was something about the excitement of meeting new people that really drove me. We would get placed in a canvas topped Adirondack cabin and meet our new roommates for the week. Usually there were one or two guys in the cabin that were cool and fun. Usually there were a couple that got on everyone else's nerves. Figuring out how to navigate this early in the week was always a challenge. But, I could always count on plenty of hi-jinx in the cabin, laughter after lights out, and opportunities for making friends and having amazing experiences throughout the week. The week always included Bible study of some sort. I am sure that many of the foundations of my faith became strengthened at these camps. Mealtime was always special. There was a main cabin with long tables. I can remember Rev. Prosser coming in to gently give directions on how to get our food and how to clean up afterwards. He was always part of the camp experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>MAD Camp was particularly special for me. As an arts oriented kid, this seemed like a perfect fit. I could go to a church camp, focus on my music, and meet other kids from around the region that had similar interests. It became apparent to me very quickly that this was "my space." I could exercise my young leadership and team building skills in this environment and have a great time doing it. The MAD Camp week usually consisted of some type of preparation for a large performance at the end of the week. I recall one year that we made a musical out of the book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Singer-Song-Finale-Trilogy-1-3/dp/0830813217" target="_blank">The Singer</a> by Calvin Miller. I played the lead role and wrote a ton of original music for that performance. It was definitely one of my first opportunities to branch out from my classical music roots and exercise my creative muscles. It was so much fun and life-shaping for sure. </div><div><br /></div><div>At some point in the late 1970's, my church youth group began heading to Westminster Highlands during an early week in the summer for work camp. This was a completely different experience. We went with kids that we knew and would spend the week fixing bridges, clearing trails, and doing odd jobs around the camp. But, in addition, we were developing relationships and galvanizing our friendships. We were talking about our faith and deepening our relationship with God. This too was amazingly life-shaping. Reverend Prosser, incidentally, was always around. He would give us our instructions for the day at breakfast. He would always stop by the work site to see how things were going. And, occasionally, when we broke the rules or didn't follow through on expectations, he would set us down and explain the importance of our work, probably get us feeling quite guilty for our transgressions, and move on in a very gentle way. Lessons learned. Some of my greatest memories of Westminster Highlands are from work camp. I remember singing Journey's "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" at the top of our lungs, swimming in the creek with my friends, hiking on the huge boulders, and even some pretty fun games of "Truth or Dare" after hours. I couldn't begin to name all the folks that were at these work camps in this post, but you know who you are. These are the friendships that I think about and cherish to this day.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, today Rev. Thomas Prosser and his family are on my mind. He was a great man and caretaker of an absolutely beautiful natural place in Northwestern Pennsylvania. He made it special for all of us. Every kid who went to camp at Westminster Highlands came away with a greater sense of what it truly is to be a person of faith. Reverend Prosser modeled and spoke of kindness, work ethic, faithfulness, and leadership for each of us everyday. He will certainly be missed. I will carry so many great memories of him and Westminster Highlands in my heart for the rest of my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pax.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scott</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>OrchestraGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973366422165647272noreply@blogger.com0