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ISME 2016

I realize this post is a bit late, but a few months after the fact certainly does not cause the feelings towards my experiences at ISME 2016 to wane a single bit.  The International Society of Music Education ch13880133_10210144090059998_7387177970352393475_nose an ideal location: Glasgow, Scotland!  I have been told my mother’s father was born in Glasgow.  This certainly must have been the case, as I felt an immediate connection to this wonderful city.  The people, the history, everything about it made me feel at home.  Of course, Lani Garner (OU Ph.D candidate) and I went to present our research (see abstract is below).  Our research study was well received, and we hope to be submitting our manuscript for publication very soon.  It is my plan to return to Scotland some day, but in the mean time Dr. Brian Russell and I will be presenting our latest research at the ISAME conference in Birmingham, UK next April.

Describing K-12 Music Programs Using the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines for Music Programs: A Nationwide Investigation

Abstract

In the United States, music’s role in the K-12 curriculum has endured its share of economic and political struggles. In response to this dilemma, Ciorba and Rand (2006) developed the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines Survey for Music Programs as a means to describe the operations of music programs. A well-developed understanding of these operations may provide a means to improve the role of music education in the K-12 educational system, and better prepare music educators to deal with the economic and political struggles set before them. The nine areas for assessment included (a) Music Educator as Leader; (b) Clearly Stated Vision and Mission; (c) Safe, Caring, and Orderly Environment; (d) High Expectations; (e) Assessment and Monitoring; (f) Parent and Community Involvement; (g) Instructional Delivery; (h) Professional Development; and (i) Music Program Culture. The measure consisted of 36 statements, which were aligned with the following Likert-type response scale: (a) not applicable (N/A), (b) never, (c) sometimes, (d) often, and (e) always. Using an online database from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) website, a stratified random sample of 25 districts per state was chosen based on the characteristics of each state population. The researchers then visited each school website and collected the email addresses of 7,031 music educators. Invitations to participate were sent to each potential participant using SurveyMonkey, a web-based service used to administer online surveys. At the end of the data collection period, 1,585 participants completed the survey for a 22.5% response rate. Participants reported positive self-perceptions regarding their (a) teaching abilities; (b) leadership qualities; and (c) ability to provide a non-threatening, non-oppressive learning environment. Furthermore, participants were less certain when communicating goals, expectations, vision, mission, and current research with parents and the rest of the educational community. These results are similar to those reported by Ciorba and McClay (2009), indicating that consistent trends may exist regarding the classroom operations of K-12 music educators.

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Reflections on OMEA 2016

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I am now in my seventh year as a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma, and this past week, I was able to break away from the daily grind of academia to engage with the music community in a celebratory fashion at the yearly OMEA conference in Tulsa, OK. Working the OU booth is always a pleasure. I enjoy meeting music educators from across the state, catching up with alumni, and discussing OU’s graduate music education programs (MME and Ph.D.) with potential students.  I’m always recruiting! 🙂

At the Thursday night awards ceremony, I had a chance to hear Dr. Glenn Nierman, who is the Glenn Korff Chair of Music Education at the University of Nebraska. He is also President of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Music Education (ISME). Dr. Nierman told us how the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can positively impact the state of music education. I know many of us have strong opinions on this issue, and I look forward to hearing about them in future blogs. Generally speaking, I am quite optimistic.

For me, the highlight of the conference was watching Mr. Chris Barber, one of our Ph.D. candidates, being named the 2015-16 Exemplary Music Educator by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. Chris invited me to sit at the front of hall with his friends and family during the ceremony.  To say the least, I was honored by the invitation.  Mr. Barber has been a member of the music faculty at Owasso High School since 1996. The Owasso band program has a long history of excellence, including numerous appearances at the Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, in which the PRIDE of Owasso was a Semi-finalist in 2001, 2002, and 2009. The band reached the finals in 2005 (12th) and 2011 (7th). These are just a few of the many great accomplishments in which Chris has been professionally involved.  For more details, I suggest you visit the following link http://owassobands.com/owassobands/about.html. I look forward to working with Mr. Barber as he completes his dissertation, which is titled, The Creation and Validation of a Multi-Dimensional Rating Scale for High School Instrumental Honor Band Auditions. I advise my colleagues across the nation to keep an eye on Chris Barber.  He’s going places!

I give thanks to the OMEA leadership for their successful efforts in Tulsa. I am already looking forward to next year.

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What Did I Learn?


Over the past two days, I’ve participated in a mobile blogging and scholarship workshop at the University of Oklahoma. It has been an amazing experience.  A website has been created, I’ve stared blogging, and I am now marketing my knowledge with the rest of the world.  There is so much left to learn, but I have been given the tools to carry on with these activities for years to come. Thank you, Keegan for sharing your knowledge!

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Ziggy Played Guitar

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I woke up this morning to learn the music world lost a truly innovative artist. Sadly, David Bowie succumbed to an 18-month battle with cancer. The media reported he died peacefully, but this comes as no comfort to a life long fan such as myself. He thought outside the box in every essence. His musical styles changed constantly as he immersed himself in jazz, dance, rock, etc. The same was true for his image. A virtual chameleon, his fashion sense was revolutionary (and very brave) for the era in which he lived. My parents generation would never understand him, but I did, mainly through his music. Space Oddity was a personal favorite, as was Heroes, Aladdin Sane, and his work with Tin Machine.

David Bowie’s music moved me. His musical style was refreshing, and today, I feel a bit empty. Rest in peace, Mr. Bowie. You will be missed.

“There’s a starman waiting in the sky.”