Dear Tri-M Members and Advisors,

It’s already November, and Thanksgiving is coming fast! In this month’s issue of E-News, you’ll find announcements, upcoming service opportunities, and events. This month’s featured article is from our online Future Teachers weekly articles, titled “What Would You Do? Part 2.” And this year we’ve added two new specialty items-–multi-colored Tri-M pens, and music picture frames! See ad below for links to the new items.

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.  Please share an update with us on how your chapter is doing!

Sincerely,

Shauna Leavitt, Student Programs Manager

What Would You Do? Part 2

MENC member Gary Mortenson shares various “situations for discussion” with his music education students to highlight the challenges they may face. This way, they can formulate their opinions before they face difficult situations.

Teacher-Parent Relationships

“Music educators, in particular, often work closely with parents in booster organizations, coordinating with them when they serve as chaperons on trips and interacting with them after concerts, sporting events, and contests. Communicating effectively with parents is critical in soliciting their support,” says Mortenson.

“Working with well-meaning parents often requires tact and extra communication skills,” says Mortenson.

How would you react to the following hypothetical scenarios?

Scenario #1

An active parent in your booster organization is causing dissent, coming across to other parents as dictatorial. Several parents express their desire to help with fund-raising, but hesitate to become involved because of the bossy nature of this strong-willed individual. You appreciate this person’s work ethic, but are concerned about the effects this controversy is having on the other parents. What do you do?

Scenario #2

You’ve just completed fund-raising for new uniforms. Your monetary goal was largely met through the efforts of one generous parent, who had a lot of connections and helped solicit the support of many merchants in town. Just as you're about to place the order, this parent asks you to consider changing the uniform style. The donor’s ideas clash with yours on the basic design of the uniform. You don’t want to seem ungrateful for the help and support received, but you believe that your selection will serve the group better. The benefactor has further complicated the situation by getting several of the major donors to back his or her wishes. What can you do to keep this important decision in your control? How could this situation have been avoided?

Share your thoughts about these scenarios on the future teacher forum or e-mail your responses to Shauna Leavitt.

Read What Would You Do? Part 1, which focuses on teacher-student relationships.
Read What Would You Do? Part 3, which focuses on handling criticism.

Gary C. Mortenson is professor of trumpet and head of the music department at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. He also serves as publications editor and as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Trumpet Guild.

This article is adapted from “Reality 101,” by Gary C. Mortenson in Music Educators Journal (December 1991): 45-49

--Shauna Leavitt, November 13, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Contests, Scholarships, and Student Opportunities

The Green Anthem Lyric Writing Contest

In conjunction with this year’s World’s Largest Concert, participate in the Green Anthem Lyric Writing Contest for grades 7-12. Invite your students to write new lyrics to “The Green Anthem”  with your own variations on “The Green Anthem” melody. Select up to three (3) student entries to submit to MENC. Entries will be judged on lyric and melodic variation originality by an MENC member panel. Four (4) winning entries will be posted on the MENC Web site and will be performed at the national Green Anthem Concert in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in April 2010. Deadline is February 15, 2010. Visit the MIOSM Contest page for downloadable forms, rules, and eligibility requirements.

MENC National Honor Ensembles

Deadline extended to February 1! The MENC National Honor Ensembles will debut in June 2010 at Music Education Week. Now your star student performers have the opportunity for recognition beyond the state and division level. Students should apply now for the inaugural National Honor Concert Band, Mixed Choir, Orchestra, and Jazz Band. For more information, visit National Honor Ensembles.  Application deadline: February 1, 2010.

NSBA Electronic Composition Contest

NEW: Group Category for 2010! Sponsored by MENC and the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the Electronic Music Composition Contest recognizes outstanding student compositions. Winning students will be honored at NSBA's 2010 T+L Conference. Entries will be judged based on their aesthetic quality, effective use of electronic media, and the power of the composition and its presentation in communicating to school board members, administrators, and others, the excitement and effectiveness of electronic music composition in the school curriculum. The entry deadline is April 14, 2009. For an application form and additional information, visit the Web site.

Perform at MENC's Music Education Week 2010

Groups can now apply to perform during MENC's Music Education Week in Washington DC, June 24–29, 2010. This event is MENC's annual summer celebration of music education featuring exceptional student performance opportunities, music advocacy on Capitol Hill, professional development, and live professional concerts. All performance groups are encouraged to contact MENC Events (phone 800-479-8247 or email chrism@mencevents.org) to participate during this exciting, educational week. (http://www.mencevents.org/)

Nominate Your Top Students as U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICANS!

Plan now for the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band! Nominate your students who are JUNIORS in the 2009-2010 school year for participation in their senior year in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Week festivities, taking place January 4-9, 2011. In January 2010, nominees will receive audition information, which must be submitted by April 15, 2010. Final selections for the 2011 marching band will be announced by July 1, 2010.

Take Your Students to Disney!

Walt Disney World has several musical opportunities in spring 2010 for you and your students, and MENC is proud to endorse them.

• Disney Jazz Celebration– February 18-20, 2010. A unique event open to instrumental and vocal performers, bringing together jazz educators and students with collegiate adjudicators and jazz celebrities. Students can choose to take part in jam sessions with their peers and jazz professionals. 
• Festival Disney– Weekend dates from March to May 2010. Students will demonstrate their performance excellence in the only all-Disney-produced competitive music festival. Festival Disney gives your talented ensemble the chance to compete with other instrumental, choral and auxiliary groups from schools across the country.

Chapter Spotlights

Unionville High School, Unionville, Ontario Canada
Advisor: Dennis Beck

In its 18th year running the Tri-M program, Unionville High School in Unionville, Ontario, has gotten off to a great start in this 2009-2010 school year. Continuing its regular performances at two local seniors’ homes over the summer, they have also had a few very successful performances at those locations since September, with their newly auditioned ensemble as well as returning members. They have many plans to expand their horizons and perform in a wider range of venues across the region, with upcoming performances at other retirement residences, daycare centers, elementary schools, and Sunday schools. As part of these exciting events, they have even been approached by community organizations with performance requests, a wonderful accomplishment for them.

Windward School, Los Angeles, CA
Advisor: Betsy Hanger

Windward School's Tri-M chapter in Los Angeles emphasizes community service. Students support music events at the school and hold a twice-yearly evening Coffeehouse. Students form their own groups, sing, MC, wait tables, bring homemade desserts, and make coffee for the audience. The chapter usually makes about $1000 to send to a local or global charity: some charities in the past few years have been Xavier High School in New Orleans, the Young Musicians' Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity. Their school website features a live feed of the video, and the community watching from home can Twitter comments and encouragement to the performers. The event was started to create a very supportive environment for performers of all ages (grades 7-12). Advisors Bruce Escovitz and Betsy Hanger advise the group, but the student leadership masterminds the whole event from setting up the sound system and kitchen to cleaning up the cafeteria at the end of a long, happy night.

If you and your Tri-M chapter would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of the Tri-M E-News, please send your blurb/photo of your chapter/activity to Shauna Leavitt.

News and Events

New Tri-M items for 2009-2010!

• Tri-M Pens—NEW! Clickable, ballpoint pens with colorful (red, purple, and green) barrels and comfortable gel grip. Package of 3 pens per set, 1 of each color with white logo and black ink. #8052. Active Tri-M chapter $1.50/Others $2.00
• Music Memories and Band Picture Frames—NEW! 4” x 6” wooden frames include glass and easel back with drop leg for tabletop display. #8053. Music Memories Picture Frame. Active Tri-M chapter $12.00/Others $16.00 #8054. Band Picture Frame. Active Tri-M chapter $12.00/Others $16.00
• Clearance Items – Several Tri-M items are now on clearance, including the advisor coin, the Tri-M apple ball, Tri-M key ring, emblem picture, and name tags. See the Tri-M catalog for more details.

To order: Call 1-800-828-0229 or visit www.menc.org.

Tri-M Chapter of the Year 09-10

Start thinking now about collecting items for your Chapter of the Year scrapbook! The Chapter of the Year summer music scholarship program offers scholarship money for summer study programs to the top 3 chapters at the national level in each division (senior and junior chapters). Advisors of the winning chapters then award scholarship money to deserving students in their chapters. To get these scholarships, chapters must send in a scrapbook covering their activities for the year, together with the current Chapter of the Year point evaluation form, to the Tri-M national office postmarked no later than April 30, 2010.

Tri-M Fall 2009 Newsletter arriving on your doorstep…

The Fall 2009 issue of the Tri-M Newsletter is due to arrive on your doorstep at any moment. Look for articles about what Tri-M chapters around the nation and the world are doing. It is alsFor past issues of the Tri-M Newsletter visit Tri-M Music Honor Society: In The News. See how your chapter can submit an article to be included in the Spring 2010 Tri-M Newsletter. The deadline for the Spring 2010 issue is January 9, 2010. Send all submissions and photos to Tri-Mnews@menc2.org.

MENC’s Walk of Fame

Are you looking for a way to honor a special music educator in your life? Or to recognize the accomplishments of your own chapter?

We hope you’ll consider purchasing an engraved brick on the Walk of Fame at MENC headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Doing so provides a special way to support music education. This is a wonderful opportunity to honor a mentor, memorialize a loved one, commemorate an occasion or event, or simply make public and permanent your own support for music education.

For more information or questions, contact Susan Lambert.

New Book
TIPS: The First Weeks of Middle School Chorus
By Patrick K. Freer

This new publication by Patrick K. Freer offers a simple, concise guide for those entering the realm of teaching middle school chorus. The book is full of useful hands-on strategies for teachers new to working with middle school choirs or those seeking advice on improving effectiveness. For more information, and to order, read the press release. Published by MENC and Rowman & Littlefield Education (RLE). MENC members receive a 25% discount on purchases with the code MENC25.

November Poll: Narrowing Down the News Topics

Each month, MENC asks its members for their input on current issues and trends in music education. This month’s question is:

In September, MENC News sponsored a short poll asking members what kind of stories they would most like to see in the news pages of Teaching Music and Music Educators Journals, as well as on-line. The categories listed below were the most popular.

Please help us narrow this down further and pick the ONE topic that you would MOST like to see written about in MENC news pages. 

• Advocating for music education (how, what others are doing)
• Grant opportunities (where to find)
• Taking music education into communities (how, what others are doing)
• Music education in the broader context of education
• Music Education research (what’s new)
• Upcoming MENC events
• MENC competitions
• Teacher success stories
• OTHER: write in

Share your thoughts today.

November Monthly Special
Music! Just Imagine…

The NEW 2010 Music In Our Schools Month® Sticky Note Pocket Flag Buddies are now available. The November member special shows off this year’s logo in a unique way! These 3-1/4” square blue plastic sticky note holders hold one 3” x 3” pad and five sticky tabs (all included). In November only, MENC members can purchase the Pocket Flag Buddy for half of the non-member price.

No additional purchase is required.
MIOSM® 2010 Sticky Note Pocket Flag Buddies: #7036R $1.50
This special is not available at state conference resource shops. Call 1-800-828-0229 or visit www.menc.org to order.

Follow MENC on Twitter.

Tri-M Facebook Groups

• Stay connected with other MENC Tri-M members around the world by joining MENC’s Tri-M group on Facebook. To join, simply visit www.facebook.com and search “MENC Tri-M Headquarters.”
• Want to know what’s happening at MENC Headquarters? Become a fan of MENC on Facebook!

Planning a Tri-M Event?

For those planning regional events for members of Tri-M chapters, please be sure to send a copy of the Tri-M Event Responsibility form to Shauna Leavitt by faxing it to (703) 860-9404 or mailing it to her attention at MENC, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191. A copy of this form is available on page 57 of the Tri-M Manual (2009 issue).

“Ask the Mentors” Forum

Do you have music education questions? MENC’s mentors have the answers! Each month from September to May, the “Ask the Mentors” forum features a different mentor for band, orchestra, chorus, general music, jazz, and guitar. The mentors are veteran teachers who offer advice in response to your teaching questions. Post questions and read responses on the Future Teacher’s Forum. Read about this month’s MENC Mentors.

November
Band – John Christian
General Music – Steven Chetcuti
Chorus – Mary Jennings
Orchestra – Sue Bechler
Jazz – Sebastian Bonaiuto
Guitar – Dan Holmes

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, November 12, 2009 © MENC: The National Association for Music Education.