President's Page
Maryanne Irish, Bow Memorial School
Thank you for your support re: HB 39!
January 25, 2011
You may have caught bits and pieces of today's hearing in Concord on HB 39 on the WMUR news tonight. Their report indicated more than 100
guests at the hearing. Of the many who spoke (the hearing went into the
afternoon), only two were in favor of the bill. I've also received and
been forwarded e-mails from a number of representatives, both
Republican and Democrat, who oppose the bill. This is encouraging.
So did we win? Today was only a
hearing, and the bill will likely proceed through the usual channels
until it reaches a vote in the Legislature and Senate. From reliable
sources, I've been informed that HB 39 is only "warm up" legislation to
test the waters for other bills that will cut even more deeply into
education. As Tim moves into the position of President in April, you'll
be in good hands concerning advocacy. The sense of those at the DOE,
NEA-NH, and other organizations in the state is that this will be an
ongoing concern for at least the next few years.
Thank you to those who attended and/or testified today, in spite of the
treacherous driving conditions this morning: Tim Russell, Matt Redmond,
Casey Goodwin, Past Middle School Coordinator/PSU Professor Holly
Oliver, and Past President Pat McMullen. Marcia McCaffrey was also in
attendance as part of a group from the DOE. A special recognition goes
to student MENC delegations from UNH and Plymouth State, as well as to
several of our members from around the state who attended. You were
represented well in Concord today.
Sincerely,
Maryanne Irish, President
January 19, 2011
Thanks to everyone who has already written in to make sure NHMEA knows
about pending legislation - HB 39 (click here to read more).
Hopefully this post serves to make sure all NH Music Educators are
informed and ready to act.
This message is to inform you of a serious piece of legislation that
will be considered by the NH State Legislature beginning next week:
House Bill (HB) 39, if passed, will remove Technology Education, Health Education, World Languages, and Arts Education from the current criteria for a "substantive" and "adequate" education for students in New Hampshire. The ramifications will be devastating for music programs.
The first hearing by the House Education Committee will be next Tuesday,
January 25, at 10:30 AM in Room 207 of the Legislative Office Building
(directly behind the State House) in Concord. Testimony is permitted
and written statements may also be submitted at the hearing, or via mail
or e-mail. Information for contacting your local NH representatives
and this committee is located at http://gencourt.state.nh.us.
The bill is posted on this website or can be viewed at this link.
Additional resources for advocacy can be found at MENC's
"Music Advocacy Central" Website.
Please pass this information on to music parents, booster groups,
administrators, and anyone else you feel would support the defeat of
this bill. Although moving a bill through the whole process can take
several months, we want to let our representatives know from the start
that this legislation would have devastating and far-reaching effects on
the children of New Hampshire, as well as on individual communities.
Our recommendation is that the House Education Committee would kill the
bill in its earliest stages.
We urge you to contact your local representatives, and invite all
educators, administrators, parents, and community members to join us in
Concord on the 25th.
Sincerely,
Maryanne Irish, President
December President's Notes:
Here we are in December, scrambling to put together those traditional school performances. In my teaching career, I’ve seen my own school go from a Christmas Concert to a Holiday Concert to a Winter Concert. In spite of making an intentional effort to keep the chosen music generic and inclusive of all cultures in our school community—a “something for everyone” approach—there is hardly a year that goes by without many of us having to deal with a controversial music issue, either before or after the performance. This also includes those of us who only direct instrumental ensembles.
Some directors I know have simply dropped the December performances and moved everything into January. I confess that several years ago I went to a “Fall Concert” format just before Thanksgiving, partially, I confess, to side step the whole issue. (But I still always program a few selections related to the historical December religious holidays.)
So what’s the balance and what’s legally correct?
Much of the seasonal repertoire we choose emerges as we become familiar with the culture and flavor of the community in which we teach; and without sacred music, there would be enormous gaps of omission in music history and composition styles.
The MENC website is an excellent source of balanced articles and resources that support the study and performance of sacred and holiday-related music. “Sacred Music In Schools,” found at www.menc.org/about/view/sacred-music-in-schools, is a thorough document that addresses not only these issues, but contains clear legal references. Armed with knowledge, educational purpose, and sensitivity, it IS possible to program seasonal and sacred works that will be well-received by students, parents, and Administration.
Your Executive Board has continued to work hard this fall. Many thanks to President-Elect Tim Russell, Director Elaine Hashem, and the other Board members who assisted with presiding at a well-attended and successful October Music Fest. We sang, listened to some great presenters including MENC President John Kuhner, and were inspired at dinner by Rob Westerberg, who encouraged us on the timely topic of advocacy. Much appreciation is due to Judy Teehan and the Board of the Manchester Community Music School, which once again partnered with us to host this professional event.
By the time this goes to press, we will have had auditions for Jazz All-State and our April All-State ensembles. Many thanks to Ken Clark, Mike Adams, Bill Metevier, Tony DiBartolomeo, the All-State Ensemble Chairs, and to the schools and directors who hosted auditions. It takes everyone working together to make these events happen for our participating schools and students.
Immediate Past President Rob Harrington and I recently attended a weekend planning meeting in Baltimore for the MENC Eastern Division Conference that will be taking place from March 31-April 3. Check your schedule and please consider joining us for this outstanding professional opportunity.
Just a friendly reminder that deadlines for Solo & Ensemble Festival, Middle School Festivals, Elementary/Middle School Sharing Festival, and Large Group Festivals are coming up soon. For directors who have students attending the All-State Festivals, you also have dates by which to submit student materials and registration forms.
As there is much work that goes into the scheduling of these auditions and festivals, it is important that we honor the deadline dates. Our desire as a Board is that these festivals provide a quality and memorable musical experience for all who participate, and that can only be accomplished if we as directors are responsible to do our part. And if there’s a genuine challenge or unusual situation that comes up, you’re welcome to contact any of the festival or audition chairs before the event deadline to see if an accommodation can be arranged.
As many of us are scheduling those final rehearsals before the holidays and life is getting busy, take time to reflect on the tremendous impact music education has on the life of your school and community. This is because of your dedication and passion: for your students and for the art of music.
Have a wonderful and restful holiday,
Maryanne Irish, President
September 2010 President's Notes:
The most wonderful thing about our profession is that we get to start over each fall. At the beginning of the school year, we get a clean slate. For anyone who’s been teaching for a while, we can agree that some years are “okay,” some are fantastic, and some—to be honest—are a challenge. But every summer we have the opportunity to take a break, do something apart from our classroom, and return rested at the end of August with a fresh perspective. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to do that over the past few months.
As you’re planning for this coming school year, we hope that NHMEA and MENC will be a part of that. Being a member of MENC keeps you informed of national initiatives in music education, as well as providing you with resources and support that you can put to use in your classroom or studio. The official website, www.menc.org, offers everything from lesson plans to advocacy materials that you can download and use immediately.
At the state level, NHMEA is committed to providing student festivals and events that will supplement your local program. We’ll offer affordable professional activities that will help you maintain your state certification in a meaningful way. In addition to our October Music Fest and April Spring Conference, the MENC Eastern Division Conference will take place in Baltimore this March. Be watching the MENC website and our own publications and website for upcoming information, and consider making this the year that you and others from your district attend. It’s a marvelous way to re-charge and network.
So we hope you’ll join us this year: first, by becoming a member; and secondly, by attending the October Music Fest in-service event. If you’d like to personally be involved with the planning and implementation of specific festivals or events, a directory of officers and chairs is listed in this issue and on www.nhmea.org. Your Executive Board is already hard at work planning and organizing for this year’s events, and we welcome your help and input.
Have a great start to the school year, and please let us know how we can continue to serve you. Remember that music is essential to education, and that each day you have a new opportunity to affect a student’s life for the better.
Your colleague,
Maryanne Irish, President
March 2010 President's Message:
I have a yellowed laminated “B.C.” comic strip that I pull out and post at this time every year. The caveman characters are chiseling calendars out of rock slabs, and discussing how the different months of the year were named for various Roman emperors and gods. In the second to last frame, one character asks, “Who is March named for?” The matter-of-fact response in the last frame is, “John Philip Sousa.” Welcome to Music In Our Schools Month!
Since our last issue went out, many of us have participated in two of NHMEA’s larger events. Many thanks to Ken Clark, Mike Adams, the Pinkerton Academy Music Department, and all of the educators who made the Jazz All-State Festival such a wonderful experience for the participating students. I’d also like to recognize Matt Redmond and the student and faculty members of the Keene State MENC Chapter for putting on the 2010 Solo & Ensemble Festival. We appreciate our New Hampshire state colleges coming along side of us to partner with this festival each year.
The Executive Board of NHMEA, as well as many of you, is entering a busy season with the Large Group Festival weekends, the Elementary & Middle School Sharing Festival, and the All-State Festival/Spring Conference at the beginning of April. Then there are the school musical events we all organize—all of which coincide with preparations for yearly observances at places of worship, in which many of us also participate.
If getting through March and April sound exhausting, please take a few minutes and consider registering for the upcoming Spring Conference. Bill Metevier, Conference Chair, along with Workshop Coordinator Elaine Hashem have lined up Friday and Saturday sessions that will challenge and renew us. A shuttle bus between the Conference Center and Concord High School will make listening to the All-State ensemble rehearsals easier. You’ll also have an opportunity this year to hear outstanding student groups from around the state, and maybe even bring your own students to perform.
The All-Member Meeting will take place on Friday afternoon right at the Conference Center, followed by a buffet dinner. You’ll have a chance to participate in discussions that will impact you and your students, as well as time to network with colleagues. We encourage you to join NHMEA/MENC if you’re not already a member, so you’ll be able to vote on issues that are important to you.
We realize that funds in some districts are tight right now. But this conference is one of the best and most economical investments that can be made to provide meaningful professional development for music educators in New Hampshire. Please know that we’re grateful to the administrators who are willing to release their teachers to attend.
So in the midst of the craziness of concerts, productions, and festivals, please take a moment to remember the difference you’re making in the life of each student you teach. For us, each month is Music In Our Schools Month. We look forward to seeing you in Concord in April.
Sincerely,
Maryanne Irish, President
January 2010 President's Message:
You’ve probably made a few New Year’s resolutions over the years. The ones that seem to make it to the top of my list just about every January have included losing weight, exercising more, being better organized, and reading more books. At this time of year, I also like to take stock of not only my personal life, but of the things that take place every day in my classroom.
I’m excited that the focus of this month’s issue of Quarter Notes is general music. When I finished school and entered the job market in the early 80s, I was certain that school districts in the Northeast would be competing to hire me as their band director. But the reality of my first “real” position was Grades 1-12 everything. I was the only music teacher for the whole town: high school band and chorus in the morning, and general music, band, and lessons at the elementary school in the afternoon. Fridays after lunch were spent at a 3-room schoolhouse, where I also had recess duty. I distinctly remember a heated exchange with the 1st grade teacher there a few weeks before the December concert. She insisted that memorizing multiple verses of “Frosty the Snow Man” was too difficult for 1st graders. Yet minutes earlier, I had witnessed the same children on the playground accurately singing from memory a 6-minute song by Madonna.
Two years later I moved on to what I thought would be my dream job: a middle school band program, along with what I was told would be “a little bit of general music on the side.” I was enthusiastic about doing band and lessons, and figured I could tolerate the general music. You know. . . the classes for the kids who are there because they have to be.
But an interesting thing happened over the years. As much as I’ll always enjoy band, I’ve grown to look forward to my 7th and 8th grade general music classes every day. We play guitar and compose for trash percussion. We listen to and analyze all kinds of music, and sing along with classic musical theater. Students ask, “How could this song have a soprano part if women weren’t allowed to sing in the choir in the 1500s?” or “Is Elvis still alive?” (Regarding the correct response to that one, some supermarket tabloids raise doubt.)
Each year when I’m starting my beginning band program, I’m also reminded of my elementary colleagues who taught my students for 5 years before they came to me. The integration and general music offerings in many high schools are also touching a large section of our student population that doesn’t participate in the traditional classes and ensembles.
Going back to resolutions, your Executive Board is also busy taking stock of the overall health of NHMEA. Financially we’ve been running over budget for the past three years. Eric Kobb, our Executive Director, has been working diligently to organize our financial paperwork and make sure that we’re meeting all of our legal requirements. We’ve also been having discussions concerning our larger student events: how we can provide a positive experience and at the same time keep the participation costs reasonable. Your Spring Conference/All-State Committee, chaired by Bill Metevier, is taking a realistic look at the All-State festival as well as the professional conference, weighing options, and seeking the best direction for the coming years. Board members running all of the other festivals and auditions are also hard at work. Although we desire our focus to continue to be on how to best serve our members and their students—and not on money—we look at this as an opportunity to take stock of the organization as a whole and re-align our priorities for the future.
So as we’re nearing the halfway point in the school year, I want to thank the chairs, committee members, and all who have served in our fall events, as well as those who are organizing the upcoming festivals. We do a lot of good things here in New Hampshire, and look forward to making them even better!
Maryanne Irish, President
November 2009 President's Message:
I’m always energized at this time of year: programs and classes are up and running, and students are settled in. Your Executive Board has also been hard at work.
Our new Board took office back in April, and it’s been exciting to have some folks who previously served, taken a break, and have now returned. We’ve also welcomed a number of younger (well, younger than me) educators who are bringing a fresh energy to our committees. Our Jazz and All-State committees have been hard at work preparing for auditions and their upcoming festivals, as have the rest of our chairpersons. Although you and your students may attend a festival that’s several months away, know that your colleagues are working on behind-the-scenes arrangements even now.
A special recognition to President-Elect Tim Russell and Board Director/Workshop Chair Elaine Hashem for organizing our recent October Music Fest, and a formal thanks to Judy Teehan and the Manchester Community Music School for being our host.
You’ll also start noticing some changes in our website and magazine as we desire them to become more effective and updated tools for our membership. The Editor’s message discusses “specialty” issues that will focus on topics of interest to different branches of our membership. Meanwhile, Editor/Webmaster Josh Desrochers welcomes your articles and lesson plans for consideration in future issues. This includes our retired members! We still need to hear strategies that worked for you, that may also work for and help a younger teacher. And newer teachers: what are some innovative things that you’re using in your classroom?
In looking over the lists of music educators in the state and attendees at our recent events, please know that we still have room for you in NHMEA/MENC. A common recruiting pitch is that you should join because you need us; the reality is that WE need YOU, and the talents that you bring as an educator and colleague.
I know that some are facing challenges this year, but please know that we’re here to support you. As a beginning teacher 28 years ago (and in various seasons of my teaching career since), it was the relationships with colleagues that brought encouragement, as well as practical strategies to keep going.
My best wishes to you as you’re juggling upcoming student auditions, football play-off games, and pending December performances. Please continue to let us know how we can better serve you.
With appreciation for all you do for the students of New Hampshire,
Maryanne Irish, President
All active and retired members are invited to cast their votes online for MENC President-Elect from January 1 to March 7, 2010.
The MENC President-Elect candidates are
- Nancy Ditmer, Wooster, OH, North Central Division Past President
- David Weatherred, Spokane, WA, Northwest Division Past President
All President-Elect terms begin July 1, 2010, with those individuals succeeding to Presidency July 1, 2012.
All members who are active and retired as of December 31, 2009, are eligible to vote. Starting January 1, look for a link on this page and on the front page of menc.org to the ballot. Members with e-mail addresses on file with MENC will also receive an e-mail with voting instructions.
September 2009 President's Message:
As you read this letter, most of us are already back at school after a hopefully restful summer.
But the start of school this year is also bittersweet. In the past months, the arts programs in many NH school districts have felt the effects of the current economy and declining student enrollment. At the least, we’ve had equipment, new music, or travel budgets trimmed. Some districts have lost or have had to consolidate music-teaching positions. With the promotion in many communities of asking students to pay a fee for sports participation, the question has also come up, “How about marching band and other after-school activities?”
The focus being given to boosting math and reading scores in some districts is hitting elementary and middle school music programs particularly hard. In-school time for lessons and rehearsals is being reduced or eliminated for testing or student remediation. Some schools have delegated performing ensembles that were previously part of the curriculum to after-school “clubs,” forcing students to choose between music and athletics. There have been reports of volunteers or “instructors” replacing certified music educators in teaching classes and performing ensembles.
Let’s not forget our university members. Students are being challenged in meeting tuition payments, and administrators and professors are feeling deep federal and local budget cuts, affecting program offerings and staffing.
Some of you are facing a school year in which your position was eliminated. You’re working for less pay in a field outside of music education, or still seeking employment.
President-Elect Tim Russell and I represented NHMEA at the MENC National Assembly in June, where reports of these same issues came from all over the country.
The leadership of NHMEA and MENC are here to encourage you as an educator, as well as to support your students and music program. At the state level, we’re committed to providing student festivals and events that will supplement your local program. We’ll provide affordable professional activities that will help you maintain your state certification in a meaningful way. We’ll also keep you informed of pro-active resources that are available through MENC and other affiliated national organizations. (See September Quarter Notes -available online shortly!) If you haven’t visited www.MENC.org lately, you’ll find everything from lesson plans that you can use immediately to advocacy information, including free professional PSA’s that you can download and show at concerts and public events. We’re also grateful to our colleague at the NH Department of Education, Marcia McCaffrey, who works tirelessly to keep us on top of what’s going on at the state and national level, and is our advocate there.
Our Executive Board also has a position currently open called Music Coalition Chair. This person would be the official liaison to our national office in Reston, VA, and be on the front line of advocacy information that affects all of us. This would be the perfect position for a retired educator who served on the Board in the past, or a younger member who would like to be more informed and involved.
So as we’re all considering our professional and personal budgets, the question always comes up: why join NHMEA? We need all of our music educators to be active and informed. Being part of MENC also puts you in the loop with national initiatives. Magazines and e-mail notices you’ll receive will provide you with lesson plans and strategies you can immediately use with students or that address a particular situation. And you’ll also have a voice in supporting the advocacy that goes on at the national level, which directly benefits New Hampshire.
Please consider joining us this year: first, by becoming a member; and secondly, by attending the October Music Fest in-service event. If you’d like to personally be involved with the planning and implementation of specific festivals or events, go ahead and contact one of our officers or committee chairs. Click here to see our Officer Page.
As proclaimed on a poster by Save the Music Foundation, “A good education includes music education.”
Your colleague,
Maryanne Irish
president@nhmea.org
MENC National Honor Ensembles
Due to the busy fall schedule every music teacher faces, and in response to MENC state leadership requests, the MENC National Executive Board has decided to extend the MENC National Honor Ensembles audition deadline to February 1, 2010. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC will host the 2010 National Concert Band, Mixed Choir, and Orchestra performance; the National Jazz Band will perform as part of the MENC Jazz Academy during Music Education Week in Washington DC. This unprecedented event will take place June 24-28, 2010.
Only active MENC members may submit audition materials for their 10th and 11th grade students* to be considered for this national recognition. However, anyone is welcome to view the audition materials. Visit MENC Events now to review and download the audition requirements and help your students rehearse and record their MP3s. A $20 administration fee will be required for each application submitted. If you are not currently a member of MENC, you may register at www.menc.org.
The National Honor Ensembles will be part of Music Education Week in Washington DC. We hope you will take time to consider bringing your entire ensemble to this exciting week of events - no audition required. There is no substitute for the performance and educational value of touring and performing in our Nation's Capital as part of Music Education Week.
Visit www.mencevents.org for complete information, audition materials list, and application. For inquiries, contact Chris Meeker, at chris@americanmusicalsalute.com or call 800-479-8247.
*Note: Current high school seniors are not eligible to apply because most high school graduations take place before the event dates of June 23-29, 2010 and only students associated with a high school may participate.
Summer Message - July 1, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
Hopefully by this point, those of us teaching in public schools have finished for the summer. It’s been a longer than usual year for many of us with the December ice storm, snow days, and flu epidemics.
If you’ve checked our Exec. Board directory recently, you’ve noticed a change in our Executive Director. We appreciate all the work put in by Jill Deleault, and now welcome Eric Kobb from The Cooperative Middle School in Stratham. Many of us know Eric from his recent role as Middle School Festival Chair, and look forward to his capable work as Executive Director.
Tim Russell and I recently returned from an exciting week in Washington, DC at the MENC National Assembly and Music Education Week. We were able to network with state officers from around the country and MENC staff, hear some outstanding concerts, and Tim visited Capitol Hill.
The focus of this year’s session was advocacy: a most appropriate topic in the current economic climate. Tim and I will be bringing you information from the MENC National Executive Board as we move through the coming year. The NEB is aware that many of our communities are being stretched in their music programs and staffing. If you haven’t visited www.menc.org lately, there are links to lesson plans, all sorts of teaching and performing resources, and even some wonderful recorded PSAs that you can download and use at concerts and other public events to promote music education.
If advocacy is something for which you have a passion, we have another way you can serve: as NHMEA’s Music Coalition Chairman. By the start of school in September, we would like to have someone in place to serve as the contact person between MENC and our state association. This person would receive frequent information on advocacy and resources, and keep our Exec. Board and members informed and equipped. Please contact me if you might be interested, and I’ll share a more specific job description. This would be a perfect position for a retired member who enjoys communicating or a younger teacher who would like to be more involved with the state and national organization.
Enjoy your summer and take some much-deserved time to recharge over the next two months!
Sincerely,
Maryanne Irish
