Dear Tri-M Members,

This month’s feature article provides tips on how to help prepare your students for college entrance auditions for those planning on pursuing a degree in music. In this issue, you will also learn ways you can be an advocate for music education by participating in the Tri-M Petition Drive Contest, the World’s Largest Concert, and Music in Our Schools Month.

Remember, Chapter of the Year applications and scrapbooks are due by April 30th! Learn how you can earn an additional 25 points this year by participating in the Tri-M Petition Drive Contest and win Tri-M T-shirts and a Tri-M banner for your chapter.

As always, if you have comments, questions, or would like to share your chapter’s activities with us for publication in a future issue, e-mail Shauna Leavitt.

Sincerely,

Shauna Leavitt, Student Programs Manager

College Audition Tips

Do you have Tri-M students who are preparing for their college auditions to study music performance or education? College auditions can be stressful, but with plenty of preparation and a great attitude, you can help your students succeed. Keep these tips in mind as you help your students prepare:

1. Fine-tune technique and control. Work on scales, intervals, articulation, and long tones. Make sure you know the audition requirements, such as sight-reading and ear training, and prepare for each element.
2. Select repertoire. You know your strengths—select pieces that showcase those strengths. “A slow, lyrical piece is often the hardest to play well,” says Mark Britt, MENC member and professor of low brass and music education at Furman University in Greenville, SC.
3. First impressions count. Every moment counts at an audition, from the warm up to the last piece. Stay positive and professional, as you would at a job interview. “We are looking for someone with a positive attitude, leadership qualities, and willingness to be part of a larger team,” says Lynn Brinckmeyer, director of choral music education at Texas State University and past president of MENC.
4. Prepare a resume. A resume and a list of representative literature will help the committee get a sense of your abilities. These materials also show your interest in the program.
5. Focus on the music. The unexpected may happen, from a runny nose to a wardrobe malfunction. If you focus on the music, you’ll make the best possible impression no matter what the circumstances.

For more information, see MENC’s brochure on How to Nail a College Entrance Audition.

This material has been adapted from an article by Andrea Keating.

Chapter Spotlight

Tri-M welcomes new chapter!

Chapter #5886 began in November and has a total of 11 outstanding, dedicated members. Our chapter looks forward to hosting a band night lock in! Three of our members were chosen to perform in the TRI-State honors band festival last December at Florida State University as well as the Small School Honors Band festival last January at the Florida Music Educators Conference in Tampa, Florida. --Advisor, Sara Gover

Student wins all-expense trip to attend the GRAMMY Awards®

Tri-M student Cory Pyon won $3,000 as a Grand Prize Key Change Grant Winner. He was selected from a pool of over 100 qualified applicants by an all-star judging panel. He will be able to use these funds to support his "Melody for Community" project. He was also awarded an all-expense paid trip to attend the GRAMMY Awards® on February 8th.

Cory Pyon is a violinist, singer, and guitarist. He created a student organization, as part of Tri-M, called “Melody for Community” that focuses on creating charitable projects through musical performance. The project started in the fall to raise funds through student concerts and participation in a town talent show and to use those funds to support, and in some instances, even create music programs for children of great need and/or disability. Cory’s Tri-M project-group, “Melody for Community” (faculty advisor, Bob Diehl), decided to raise funds for the Mekele School for the Blind in Ethiopia. They decided that by helping to fund an active music program (getting instruments for the school, for example) they would improve their learning environment, create a happier atmosphere, and give them hope. To read his proposal (sent to “Do Something.org”) click here. 

Pyon is a member of Tri-M Chapter #4360, Advisor, Jennifer Hobbs.

Advocacy

MENC Advocacy Brochure Series

MENC’s “The Power of Music ... Changing Lives” music education advocacy brochure series is now available in black and white online. This series of four advocacy brochures is designed for distribution to parents, school board members, elementary school principals, and secondary school principals to give those audiences “the why and the how” of supporting school music education. The entire brochure series, in color and black and white, is available for download in PDF form. Color print copies are available for purchase at the MENC store, or by calling 800-828-0229.

Get Ready for Music In Our Schools Month!

Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) is the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. MIOSM began as a single statewide celebration in 1973, and has grown over the decades to become a month-long celebration of school music. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. To celebrate MIOSM, participate in the World's Largest Concert® on March 12, 2009, at 1: 00 p.m. ET. A Teacher's Guide with free sheet music, rehearsal tracks, and lessons plans is available here. Order your 2009 World's Largest Concert DVD online or call 1-800-828-0229.

Contests and Scholarships

Chapter of the Year

The Tri-M National Chapter of the Year program is designed to motivate and reward chapters that develop active service projects, encourage chapter officers to perform their duties properly, and bring about more awareness and interest in what other Tri-M chapters are doing. All active chapters are eligible to participate, but only those chapters that submit a National Chapter of the Year Point Evaluation form to the national office by April 30th are eligible to win. Chapter advisors must submit the application and must be an active MENC member for the chapter to be eligible. For more information, read the chapter manual, page 26. Read about last year’s winners here.

Two ways to earn more points this year:

1. Collect signatures for the Petition for Equal Access to Music Education. 
2. Conduct a change drive.  Each $1 collected will equal one signature.
    

100 signatures = 10 pts
200 signatures = 15 pts
300 signatures = 20 pts
500 signatures = 25 pts

Must be 13 or older to sign the petition

Grades 7-12 Music In Our Schools Month Song Writing Contest

Here's an opportunity for you to get creative for MIOSM®! Students are to write a song based on the 2009 Music In Our Schools Month® theme, “Music! Just Imagine …” Songs will be judged on originality, melody, and lyrics by an MENC member panel. Your song may be selected to be performed in a future World’s Largest Concert®. Deadline: March 16, 2009. Winners will receive a Nintendo Wii system and Wii Music game. Visit here for the rules and entry form. 

Academy Offers Scholarships

LA Music Academy, fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, has announced scholarships available for its vocal, drum, bass, and guitar departments, according to the school’s president, Tom Aylesbury. Interested domestic and international students demonstrating exceptional musical talent, ability, and enthusiasm can apply now for the 2009-2010 school year. Applicants are evaluated based on their essays, academic history, playing skills, and letters of recommendation. Last year, LA Music Academy awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships.

News and Events

Facebook Groups

• Stay connected with other MENC Tri-M members around the world by joining MENC’s Tri-M Facebook group. To join, simply visit www.facebook.com and search “MENC Tri-M Headquarters.”
• Join “Change Music Education … for the Better” Facebook group and link with other supporters as we present our petition to the Department of Education in Washington, DC. Visit www.facebook.com and search “Change Music Education … for the Better.”

2010 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band

It’s not too late for a chance to become a member of the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band! Applications and are being accepted until April 15. Visit MENC’s Band site for more details. On February 26, don’t miss the rebroadcast of the 2009 All-American Marching Band halftime performance.

February Member Special

March is just around the corner. Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) 2009 will be here before you know it! The February MENC Member Monthly Special features the colorful MIOSM banner. You will want to place plenty of these eye-catching banners around your school and community. In February only, MENC members can purchase MIOSM banners for only $1.50 – half off the regular price!

This special is not available at state conference resource shops. Call 1-800-828-0229, or visit the online store to order.

Tri-M® Music Honor Society is the international music honor society for middle/junior high and high school students. Tri-M is a program of MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of music education. Through its many programs, activities, publications, and conferences, MENC addresses all aspects of music education and works to ensure that every student can be a part of a balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction. For more information about Tri-M Music Honor Society, visit our Website.

--Shauna Leavitt, February 19, 2009 © MENC: The National Association for Music Education.