CSI Session Topics

CSI Connect Tracks and Sessions

The 2020 CSI Connect faculty will be presenting relevant and engaging sessions catered for every track. Below is just a sampling of the amazing sessions we have planned. In addition, will not want to miss the daily keynotes from Tim Lautzenheiser, Larry Livingston, and Bob Morrison!

Band Track

The Concert or Marching Band: Tuning, Tuning and More Tuning!

Presenter: Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: How to teach your band students to "really" listen in ensemble rehearsals. We will discuss how to tune unisons, 5ths, melodies and complex chords as we demonstrate the newest technology available to band directors today. Learn how to use the “Tonal Energy Tuner” and other technology to add a new dimension to your rehearsals!

Creating Self-Sufficient Musicians

Presenter: Dr. Myra Rhoden
Synopsis: This session will provide multiple strategies to help build a classroom atmosphere that promotes a growth mindset as well as foster an expectation of excellence with your student musicians. Educators will recognize that, through their leadership, students can develop great listening skills, learn to give and receive constructive criticism, and imitate daily rehearsal strategies to improve and learn. Leave with a plan of action to make it all happen--virtually or in person!

Upbeat! Creating a Positive Online and Compassionate Online and In-Person Culture

Presenter: Matthew Arau
Synopsis: What influences the culture in your music program? Drawing on positive psychology, mindfulness, and real life experience, this session will provide tips, stories, and strategies to help you and your students flourish online, offline, and in-person in a musical community filled with joy, respect, growth, purpose, meaning and excellence.

Habitudes and Lessons from the Wizard of Oz

Presenter: Dr. Frank Tracz
Synopsis: Our habits and our attitudes combined- “Habitudes” - become the most powerful force in who we are and what we become as music teachers. Do these well, and teach in the middle of the country where there are more cattle than people, and you’ve got a great recipe for mutual success and happiness! Where do your habits and attitudes come from? How can we nurture and promote “Habitude” growth, and how will this change our ensembles and students for the better, forever? Let’s talk…

Building Technique

Presenter: Dr. Paula Crider
Synopsis: This session will present ideas for creating lesson plans designed to provide a logically progressive, easily measurable, challenging and fun approach to motivating individually guided student technical advancement. Based on the Herbert L. Clark technical studies, and utilizing PC’s “Band Olympics” concept, this method allows students to progress at their own pace, while measuring progress against the “Olympic Gold” standard established within each section.

Music Heals: Sources of Strength and Inspiration

Presenter: Dr. Paula Crider
Synopsis: The “new normal” brought about by Covid-19 has presented challenges that were heretofore inconceivable. We have all been called upon to make sacrifices not seen since the World Wars and the Great Depression. This clinic will feature everyday heroes in troubling times; stories of beauty in the midst of strife. Participants will be invited to provide an inspirational quote---meaningful words that bring out the best in each of us. Additionally, we will reflect upon those musical moments that were so profound, so meaningful that the feeling of those sounds never left us. What piece would that be for you?

Teaching to the Goosebumps - Passion in Music Education

Presenter: Richard Saucedo and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: In this session we will discuss the possibility that "goosebump moments" are the key to keeping students involved in music for a lifetime. Most of us are here because of a music teacher who changed our life and/or a "goosebump moment" we experienced that changed the way we felt about music. The more "goosebump moments" we can provide for our students, the more chances we have to truly engage them in their music making. Now, more than ever, "Goosebump moments" will help students "fall in love" with music and enrich the quality of their lives.

We Never Stop Teaching the Instruments

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: Are we limiting our students’ potential for musical success by assuming too much? Teaching embouchure, hand position, air flow, articulation, alternate fingerings and tone production are ongoing tasks, not just part of a solid beginning band curriculum. This presentation will look at common problems of the middle school and high school concert band and show how we often overlook the obvious in helping our bands sound more mature.

Finding Your Voice: Music Education Advocacy

Presenter: Laurie Schell
Synopsis: Music educators have a dual role—content expert and expert advocate. In advocacy work (as in life), sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. Join us and experience what it means to be an advocate for music education. Learn about the advocacy landscape and how to access tools and information to get started and stay engaged. Learn how to balance the urgency of today with the long view.

Building a Culture of Excellence

Presenter: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: Richard Saucedo and Tim Lautzenheiser team-up to address the incredibly important topic of the culture that sets the standards for outstanding programs. What is that magic potion some groups seem to have? Why are certain music educators *always* successful regardless of their given environment? Is it the MESSAGE or is it the MESSENGER? The answer is; YES! From the rehearsal room to the performance stage, there are tried-and-true teaching tools certain to obtain a bountiful artistic harvest.

The Healthy Conductor

Presenter: Dr. Paula Crider
Synopsis: Music teachers may spend as many as 8 hours a day conducting, and, as with any physical task, poor fundamentals lead to limited expression, needless tension and pain. This clinic will focus on common conducting faults and provide exercises to foment more clarity of pattern and greatly reduced arm/shoulder tension.

If I Could Only Read One Book

Presenter: Jon Gomez
Synopsis: Time and professional development are highly valued commodities for music educators. This session provides attendees with an opportunity to optimize both by sharing and briefly discussing some of the best books (recent publications as well as oldies, but goodies) that will serve us well, both professionally and personally. For those of us who aren't fervent readers, this session will provide us with the biggest bang for the buck!

Reading Ensemble Session

Presenters:Richard Saucedo & Michael Sweeney
Synopsis: Michael Sweeney and Richard Saucedo are thrilled to present the brand new Hal Leonard band works for the 2020-21 school year. All of the pieces are currently in production and will be available for purchase this summer. Attendees will have the opportunity to follow along with the scores on their computer screens as they hear the recordings, helping them to decide which pieces might be a good fit for their groups. All grade levels will be included in the presentation. There will also be at least one “Flex-Band” Title so directors with challenging instrumentation can hear how these arrangements might help their groups to sound more full when performing.

String Track

Successful String Programs of the 21^st Century

Presenters: Scott Laird, Daryl Silberman, Walt Straiton, Bob Phillips
Synopsis: Please join us for an interactive discussion exploring the core DNA of the successful school orchestra program of the 21st Century, including Classical, Contemporary, STEM, STEAM, SEL, Strolling, Jazz, Rock and Roll. Does everyone do everything? One thing? Program development strategies will be explored with a focus on what constitutes “best practices” in the current reality.

A Conversation with the “Masters”

Presenter: Walt Straiton
Synopsis: Join legacy master collegiate string education pedagogues Louis Bergonzi (Eastman School of Music/University of Illinois), Robert Gillespie (Ohio State University), Stephen Benham (Duquense University) and famed public school pedagogues Pam Tellejohn Hayes (Columbia College and Essential Elements), and Judy Evans (Collier County Head Start, FL) in an interactive and moderated discussion relative to evolutionary changes within string education over the past several decades with an eye on the future.

Social and Emotional Learning and the String Classroom

Presenters:Daryl Silberman, Scott Edgar, and Bob Morrison
Synopsis: Join master teacher Daryl Silberman and the nation’s leading researchers, Dr. Scott Edgar and Bob Morrison, in exploring the impact of music education, fulfilling the rapidly-emerging field of SEL and its prioritization within the classroom and via virtual instruction.

A Conversation with Regina Carter

Presenter: Walt Straiton
Synopsis: Join us for a discussion with Regina Carter, the “First Lady of Jazz Violin”. We’ll learn about her journey as a young Suzuki-student growing up in urban Detroit, performing in Cass Technical High School’s orchestra (where she was introduced to Ella Fitzgerald) and attending the New England Conservatory where she completed her formal education before heading off into the uncharted territory of becoming a world-class crossover jazz violinist.

Music Heals: Sources of Strength and Inspiration

Presenter: Dr. Paula Crider
Synopsis: The “new normal” brought about by COVID-19 has presented challenges that were heretofore inconceivable. We have all been called upon to make sacrifices not seen since the World Wars and the Great Depression. This clinic will feature everyday heroes in troubling times; stories of beauty in the midst of strife. Participants will be invited to provide an inspirational quote---meaningful words that bring out the best in each of us. Additionally, we will reflect upon those musical moments that were so profound, so meaningful that the feeling of those sounds never left us. What piece would that be for you?

Upbeat! Creating a Positive Online and Compassionate Online and In-Person Culture

Presenter: Matthew Arau
Synopsis: What influences the culture in your music program? Drawing on positive psychology, mindfulness, and real life experience, this session will provide tips, stories, and strategies to help you and your students flourish online, offline, and in-person in a musical community filled with joy, respect, growth, purpose, meaning and excellence.

Scherl & Roth 101

Presenter: John Fulton
Synopsis: Scherl and Roth has been a revered brand in American string education dating back over 50 years. MUCH has changed in the manufacturing and distribution of student string instruments over this period of time. Learn the unique characteristics of Scherl & Roth instruments that make them an outstanding investment for your students and your program.

Finding Brilliance in the Culturally Responsive Classroom

Presenter: Franklin Willis
Synopsis: The impact of culturally relevant teaching (CRT) in education has been heavily researched and implemented in classrooms across the country. The foundation of CRT encourages teachers to use their students’ cultural experiences to connect material being taught. Teachers who use CRT practices as their teaching pedagogy are more effective in reaching at risk and students of color. This presentation will give an overview of CRT and provide teachers with specific teaching strategies to build their skills to reach all students in the music classroom. Franklin Willis is a Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excellence recipient and serves as a music education coach in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, an urban district.

Bringing STEM into the String and Orchestra Classroom

Presenter: Scott Laird
Synopsis: This session will provide tips on interdisciplinary topics relating to music and STEM for all levels of string instruction. Participants will consider numerous terms and concepts from the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics that can be easily incorporated into string lessons and orchestra rehearsals at all levels. These topics will include concepts such as variables, data, fractions, gravity, activation energy, elastic collisions, dynamic vs. static passages and many more.

Finger Patterns as a Vehicle to Major Scales and Upper Positions

Presenter: Scott Laird
Synopsis: Attendees will learn a practical method for incorporating the concept of finger patterns into a systematic approach for technique development. Utilizing the pedagogy of George Bornoff as the foundation, attendees will be introduced to a system of nomenclature and group activities that facilitate the introduction and development of intonation, shifting, upper positions, scales, rhythm and bow techniques. These concepts can be used virtually, in homogeneous or heterogeneous classrooms, and can be incorporated into any teaching environment or level. The presenter will offer suggestions for incorporating instructional technologies into the system and provide online and technological resources. Bring an instrument and learn in a “hands on” environment!

Strolling Your Way to Fame, Fortune and Program Development

Presenter: Nancy Nosal and Walt Straiton
Synopsis: Capturing the tradition of strolling string ensembles of the US Military, join our presenters as they chronicle the growth and development of a strolling strings ensemble within their respective string programs and communities (Kenosha, WI and Williamsport, PA). Topics include program conceptualization, rehearsal techniques, show development, business and social emotional impact.

Scales, Vibrato, and Beyond: Scope and Sequence for Teaching Advanced Techniques in the Orchestra Class

Presenter: Dr. Soo Han
Synopsis: After having taught the fundamental skills during the early years of string playing, moving the students onto the ‘next level’ and teaching advance string techniques in the orchestra class setting can be extremely challenging. This session will present strategies on teaching three-octaves scales, shifting into upper positions, advanced vibrato and bow techniques.

Symphonic Sounds: A Musicians Guide to Developing a Symphony Orchestra at Your School

Presenter: Jim Palmer
Synopsis: This session is designed for both the string track and the band track, and will present ideas and strategies on starting a full symphony orchestra. Topics include understanding the symphony orchestra, collaboration, rehearsal techniques, score study and resources.

New Teacher Track

Making It Past Year Three: Avoiding Young-Teacher Burnout

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: Teacher attrition is highest in the first three years on the job. Statistically, if a teacher makes it beyond the third year, the probability of a lifetime in the profession is exponentially greater. This presentation explores reasons for high attrition and ways to mitigate the likelihood.

“Hiding the Vegetables” - Unique and Creative Ways to Teach Young Band Students the Much-Needed Fundamentals on a Daily Basis

Presenter: Erin Cole Steele and Freddy Martin
Synopsis: When it comes to teaching young band students, pacing is key! Now more than ever, directors have to find ways to present the material we want students to learn in a way that will keep their attention, interest and motivate them, as well!

Upbeat! Creating a Positive Online and Compassionate Online and In-Person Culture

Presenter: Dr. Matthew Arau
Synopsis: What influences the culture in your music program? Drawing on positive psychology, mindfulness, and real life experience, this session will provide tips, stories, and strategies to help you and your students flourish online, offline, and in-person in a musical community filled with joy, respect, growth, purpose, meaning and excellence.

Jazz Education for the Non-Jazzer

Presenter: Ronnie Rios
Synopsis: This session will provide those teachers who are “jazz challenged” an opportunity to learn practical pedagogy to help in any type of jazz rehearsal environment. Big band, Combos, Improvisation, Literature….it will ALL be discussed here!

Building a Culture of Excellence

Presenter: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: Richard Saucedo and Tim Lautzenheiser team-up to address the incredibly important topic of the culture that sets the standards for outstanding programs. What is that magic potion some groups seem to have? Why are certain music educators *always* successful regardless of their given environment? Is it the MESSAGE or is it the MESSENGER? The answer is; YES! From the rehearsal room to the performance stage, there are tried-and-true teaching tools certain to obtain a bountiful artistic harvest.

10 Common Rehearsal Mistakes

Presenter: Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: This session will examine 10 common mistakes prevalent in rehearsal settings. With careful attention to details, rehearsals can be more efficient, more rewarding and facilitate a culture of excellence. The current reality provides opportunities for us to better prepare students individually and in small groups. These 10 issues are relevant in any setting.

Jazz: A Bridge to Better Understanding

Presenter: Antonio Garcia
Synopsis: The music and history of jazz provide a ready bridge to your students’ exploration of other subjects, including language, history, math, physics, religion, physical education and psychology. Civil rights and social justice issues have been constants expressed by jazz musicians. Let’s explore ways to heighten students’ awareness of the roots of jazz. In the process, we’ll consider grants and activities to enhance funding from your community.

The Concert or Marching Band: Tuning, Tuning and More Tuning!

Presenter: Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: How to teach your band students to "really" listen in ensemble rehearsals. We will discuss how to tune unisons, 5ths, melodies and complex chords as we demonstrate the newest technology available to band directors today. Learn how to use the “Tonal Energy Tuner” and other technology to add a new dimension to your rehearsals!

Your Band is Playing What?

Presenter: Dr. Mary Land
Synopsis: This clinic is designed to aid band directors in selecting quality repertoire for their ensembles. Mary Land has over 30 years of experience preparing bands for festivals, concerts and competitions and has adjudicated hundreds of bands. Participants will gain knowledge of what to look for and what to avoid in order to facilitate their bands’ musical success on stage.

Parent and Booster Organizations

Presenter: Randy Greenwell
Synopsis: Learn How to Work With Your Booster Organization. Topics will include understanding the history, developing a plan with your administration, the importance of communication, altering their course, growing support and helping them make a difference!

Leadership and Sustainability

Presenter: Jager Loyde
Synopsis: Great band programs are the result of a successful ecosystem and careful planning. Too many times they aren’t sustained. The presenter will offer personal perspectives on events and initiatives that contribute to the success and sustainability of quality music programs. Attendees will take a closer look at leadership methodology and strategies for improving program culture, achievement, and overall growth. All of these must remain constant, even in uncharted waters.

Reading Ensemble Session

Presenters:Richard Saucedo & Michael Sweeney
Synopsis: Michael Sweeney and Richard Saucedo are thrilled to present the brand new Hal Leonard band works for the 2020-21 school year. All of the pieces are currently in production and will be available for purchase this summer. Attendees will have the opportunity to follow along with the scores on their computer screens as they hear the recordings, helping them to decide which pieces might be a good fit for their groups. All grade levels will be included in the presentation. There will also be at least one “Flex-Band” Title so directors with challenging instrumentation can hear how these arrangements might help their groups to sound more full when performing.

Collegiate Track

Clinics are organized in the preferred sequence as material in one session often provides a foundation for subsequent sessions. All presentations listed below are fully compatible with online delivery and attendee participation and interaction.

Flipping the Switch from Student to Teacher

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: There is very little preparation and training for an aspiring young teacher entering the profession. One day they’re the student and the next they’re the teacher. This session will detail the success and failure paths common to music majors preceding and during the student teaching experience.

The Successful Interview, Part 1: Laying the Groundwork The Successful Interview,
Part 2: The Interview Itself and What Follows Presenter: Frank Troyka

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: This two-part presentation will cover the most important aspects of preparing for a successful job interview and common mistakes that are often deal-breakers. Examples of resumes, cover letters, reference lists and other materials will be available digitally.

Intonation 101: What You Don’t Know About Tuning An Ensemble

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: An overview of just intonation and equal temperament will precede a presentation of strategies for developing intonation awareness in young musicians. There will be a comparison of various exercises and their relative impact on developing aural intonation skills.

Jazz Education for the Non-Jazzer

Presenter: Ronnie Rios
Synopsis: This session will provide those teachers who are “jazz challenged” an opportunity to learn practical pedagogy to help in any type of jazz rehearsal environment. Big band, Combos, Improvisation, Literature….it will ALL be discussed here!

Preparing Your Ears, Mind and Heart for the Job Ahead

Presenter: Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: Music education has always been for those with strong ears. After all, if you’re not prepared to listen to your ensembles with critical and/or trained ears, you probably won’t last too long in the profession. But what about getting your mind and heart up to speed (pun intended) before you take that first step as a teacher? More than ever, music teachers must use their intellect to deal not on ly with students, but parents, administrators and others. How do you handle a discipline problem so the situation doesn’t escalate? Likewise, your heart and soul is going to be challenged like never before, as you try to decide whether to hold a student to task, knowing he/she hasn’t eaten in 24 hours. We’ll work together in this session, based on experience, to get your ears, mind and heart ready for the greatest job in the profession.

Leading from Within

Presenter: Dr. Matthew Arau
Synopsis: Leadership is the great lifter. How you will lead from your podium will impact the performance, character and atmosphere of your ensemble. This clinic shares how we can incorporate leadership principles to our own conducting and teaching in order raise our own bar in order to empower and engage students at the highest level.

There are No Cheat Codes but you CAN Level Up!

Presenter: Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: There are no cheat codes for building your brand as a music educational professional. However, there are some concrete steps you can take to “level up” in the process of preparing yourself to succeed. Dr. Jones will share “insider” information and recommendations from her experiences as a Fine Arts Administrator serving 400 arts education specialists and 87,000 students.

From Pass-Offs to Passion: Creating Ownership Through Assessment

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: This presentation will demonstrate a method for helping young musicians embrace and work beyond playing tests on the path to becoming skilled, independent and passionate performers. This is an interactive presentation in which attendees will use provided materials to assess actual recordings of student assignments and live performances. The model provided focuses on student/teacher collaboration and shifting ownership to the developing musician.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now

Presenter: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Synopsis: Tim takes a look at ten bits of WISDOM that are critically important in the music education community. It is one thing to talk about these TRUTHS, but quite another to integrate them into our daily habits. The spotlight will be focused on WHY it is important to heed these wonderful road signs along the highway of professional success.

Finding Brilliance in the Culturally Responsive Classroom

Presenter: Franklin Willis
Synopsis: The impact of culturally relevant teaching (CRT) in education has been heavily researched and implemented in classrooms across the country. The foundation of CRT encourages teachers to use their students’ cultural experiences to connect material being taught. Teachers who use CRT practices as their teaching pedagogy are more effective in reaching at risk and students of color. This presentation will give an overview of CRT and provide teachers with specific teaching strategies to build their skills to reach all students in the music classroom. Franklin Willis is a Country Music Association Music Teacher of Excellence recipient and serves as a music education coach in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, an urban district.

Dealing with the Doubt

Presenter: Alfred Watkins and Frank Troyka
Synopsis: “Do I have what it takes to be a good teacher?” “Will I be able to make a good living teaching music?” “I’m overwhelmed with the demands of being a music major.” If these kinds of thoughts enter your mind, you’re in great company! This session will address the doubts so many of us have as we move toward college graduation and entry into the “real” world.

Questions You’re Afraid To Ask

Presenter: Frank Troyka
Synopsis: Attendees will be invited to submit questions via an anonymous Google document in advance of this presentation. Questions will then be selected and answered by a panel of experts representing different backgrounds and perspectives.

Music Administrator Collaborative

Current Issues in Music Education: Emphasis on Administration

Presenter: Gary Markham
Synopsis: The opening Music Administrator Collaborative (MAC) session is a discussion with Administrator attendees regarding current issues confronting them. We will advance the concept of a collaborative community vs. a one-time conference experience.

• What do you believe is the primary focus of a music administrator?
• How has the pandemic affected our work?
• How can you best help your teachers in the current climate?
• How do you monitor performance? Is the criteria different now?
• How will you plan professional development for the coming school year?

Survey Discussion of Educational Responses to Current Status

Presenter: David Dubose
Synopsis: MAC attendees will complete a survey of current status data prior to institute. This session will focus on the results of the survey and a collaborative discussion.

Successfully Engaging with Your School Board

Presenter: Bob Morrison
Synopsis: Everything you wanted to know about working with your school board but were afraid to ask. Life-long music education advocate Bob Morrison will share his experience as a three term school board member (and counting) and his role as a member of the board of directors for the New Jersey School Board Association (NJSBA). Bob will share what he has learned at the board table and reveal the strategies to use right now to improve school board members engagement and support for your programs. Mr. Morrison was recently honored by the NJSBA as a Certified Board Leader, a title held by less than 2% of all school board members in NJ.

Developing and Maintaining Professional Relationships

Presenter: Gary Markham
Synopsis: Participants will discuss essential questions regarding relationships for the successful Fine Arts administrator. Why are relationships important? How do we build and sustain healthy relationships with other administrators, colleagues, teachers, arts partners, colleges and universities?

Celebrating Fine Arts Success Stories

Presenter: Nola Jones
Synopsis: Meant to celebrate and inspire, this session will include a round table sharing by Fine Arts Supervisors who have achieved notable successes in the past year. Participants include Catherine Keyser of Forsyth, GA, Jeanne Reynolds of Pinellas County, FL, Jager Loyde of Round Rock, TX and David Vandewalker of Fulton County, GA. Topics will include strategic planning, lobbying and advocacy, Title IV funding and other relevant issues.

Finding Your Voice: Music Education Advocacy

Presenter: Laurie Schell
Synopsis: Music educators have a dual role—content expert and expert advocate. In advocacy work (as in life), sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. Join us and experience what it means to be an advocate for music education. Learn about the advocacy landscape and how to access tools and information to get started and stay engaged. Learn how to balance the urgency of today with the long view.

How Administrators Can Use Data to Support Their Music Programs

Presenter: Rick Ghinelli
Synopsis: Data is not just numbers. It also comes in various other forms that can be used to help make improvements in your program. Join me in a discussion of how to gather and use various forms of data to improve instruction and share with administrators to make the case for increased budgets, staffing, and resources.

Music Literacy Beyond The Performance: More Than Just Preparing for an Event

Presenter: Rick Ghinelli
Synopsis: As an administrator, are you aware of the music literacy efforts going on in your schools? With many directors embracing the competitive nature of performing ensembles, the trend seems to be to get to the end result as quickly and efficiently as possible. In the upcoming school year, how can we encourage teachers to creatively teach concepts to enhance their overall understanding of the music? Join me in a discussion of what to look for as you visit a music classroom, and be prepared to share examples of what you’ve seen work with the directors in your district.

The Character Attributes of a Servant Leader

Presenter: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Synopsis: When we think of the term “leadership,” we often think in terms of titles, authority status, section leader positions, and group control. We generally see leadership as defining a position of control: being in charge of others. Suppose we reframed the accepted interpretation to a different perspective; one that focuses on every individual as a leader-of-self. The reality is true leadership begins with self-reflection; ultimately, it begins with each and every student.

Contagious Moments

Presenter: Dr. David Vandewalker
Synopsis: (A synthesis of ideas from best-selling books "Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Berger & "The Power of Moments" by Chip & Dan Heath) How can we harness research data in new ways to help us understand why things go viral in our society-at-large and leverage that knowledge for our benefit as administrative and program leaders? Fact: people are less influenced by numbers than they are by stories. This session examines the influences of social currency, triggers and the use of storytelling to effectively build relationships and advocacy for the Arts. Additionally, we will explore how to frame that which we want to accomplish in ways that create special moments that people naturally, intrinsically want to achieve.

The Customer is Always Right

Presenter: Dr. John Clinton
Synopsis: As a Fine Arts Administrator, the “customer” (parents, students, board of education, community members and partners) becomes an important part of our work. How we build ownership and respond to the unhappy customer makes a significant difference in the integrity of your entire program. What are guiding norms and best practices for the successful arts administrator? How does a successful administrator deal with a difficult ‘customer’?

Bonus Sessions

These sessions will be available to all participants. These sessions are paraphrased and will be led by Tim Lautzenheiser.

Tips and Tricks for Virtual Learning

Presenters: Elisa Janson Jones
Synopsis: In this session we'll explore the different ways you can engage your students online, and share the secrets to ensuring optimal sound, lighting, and presentation.

The Realities of Teaching Online

Presenters: Elisa Janson Jones
Synopsis: With so many schools having been forced to teach exclusively online, it can feel extremely frustrating, especially for our ensemble classes. How can we still reach our students, and engage them? What can we do to strengthen our ensembles virtually? Is it worth making an attempt at all? We'll answer these questions as more as we explore the challenges and opportunities of teaching music online.

Chamber Music Opportunities for Your Program with the Canadian Brass

Presenters: Mike Kamphuis
Synopsis: The current situation in music education offers many wonderful opportunities for chamber music. Everyone benefits and the opportunities are endless. Join the Canadian Brass and Mike Kamphuis as they share relevant, inspiring, creative ways you can provide robust musical experiences in smaller, socially distanced settings.

MS/HS Band Fundamentals to work during Online Masterclass sessions

Presenters: Jarrett Lipman
Synopsis: In this session we’ll go through possibilities for a 10, 15, and 30 minute daily drill session that you can do with your students online that include long tones, flexibility and articulation exercises to keep them fresh during the time away. Setting your students up with tools to work through this process on their own begins with your instruction of this, and getting them on the right track.

MS/HS Band Ear Training and Aural Skills - Beginner

Presenters: Jarrett Lipman
Synopsis: In this session we’ll go through possibilities for a 15, 30, and 45 minute online/virtual session of beginner ear training material including use of solfeggio to sing major scales or simple interval exercises as well as rhythmic drills to strengthen your students skills. We will also cover basics of dictation and interval recognition. These techniques are designed to help sharpen students listening skill and focus on those students or directors with little or no prior singing skills. All exercises can transfer to instruments.

MS/HS Band Ear Training and Aural Skills - Intermediate and Advanced

Presenters: Jarrett Lipman
Synopsis: In this session we’ll go through possibilities for a 15, 30, and 45 minute online/virtual session of intermediate/advanced ear training material including major and minor solfeggio exercises as well as chromatic exercises in "fixed do.” Students will learn to identify advanced interval chains, and complete more challenging rhythmic and melodic dictation passages. We will build upon the skills from session one. Students will also learn the basics of navigating and singing atonal melodies. These techniques are designed to help sharpen students listening skill and focus on those students or directors with moderate comfort singing. All exercises can transfer to instruments.

Recruitment and Retention - Get Them and Keep Them!

Presenters: Erin Cole Steele and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: This current school year requires us to think even more creatively about how to recruit and retain students. Hear tips and strategies for beginning band recruitment as well as increasing retention from middle school to high school. Ideas will be shared on keeping your students motivated, getting all directors on the same page for a cohesive program vision, and building a sense of community.

Doctrines, Values and Choices: Toward Learner Centered Decision Making

Presenters: Dr. David Fullmer and Dr. Frank Heuser
Synopsis: The daily pressures of preparing concerts, working with students and advocating for their programs often leave music educators with little time to examine beliefs about teaching. The presentation includes examples of non-traditional thinking in practice. Featuring the research of Dr. Frank Heuser, UCLA.

Selecting Best Repertoire for All Levels of High School Band

Presenters: Randy Greenwell
Synopsis: This session will focus on considerations and practical steps in selecting educationally sound and appropriate music literature for your music ensembles. Whether you are programming for festival season, or simply a holiday concert, there are practical steps you can take to ensure your students success and your audience experience is positive.

Percussion for Non-Percussionists

Presenters: David Nelson
Synopsis: For all wind playing teachers who struggle with making detailed comments to their percussion sections, this session is for you. Learn basic hand position guidelines and the correct verbiage to help your percussionists feel like they’re a vital part of the ensemble…because they are!!!

Successful Strategies for Supporting Your Program in the New Reality

Presenters: Bob Morrison
Synopsis: Life-long music education advocate Bob Morrison will share successful strategies to position you and your program as a resource to achieve your school administrators’ goals. Learn how to provide solutions to some of the many challenges school administrators will face as they struggle to reopen schools this fall.

Q and A with Dr. Paula Crider

Presenters: Dr. Paula Crider
Synopsis: Participants will have the opportunity to engage in Q and A with Dr. Crider.

Q and A with Richard Saucedo

Presenters: Richard Saucedo
Synopsis: Participants will have the opportunity to engage in Q and A with Richard Saucedo.

Maximizing Your Virtual Conn-Selmer Institute Experience

Presenters: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Steve Zapf, Mike Kamphuis and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: This introduction will serve as a welcome to the first-ever VIRTUAL Conn-Selmer Institute. It will be a welcoming introduction to all those who are part of this new endeavor, including a short introduction of the all-star faculty and a quick review of what an exciting learning journey lies ahead. We’ll share an explanation of the various tracks and how to navigate them to their ultimate value. An inspiring launch to the Virtual CSI is the essence of this beginning keynote address.

Life in the Fast Lane

Presenters: Larry Livingston
Synopsis: Introduction of Larry Livingston. Explanation of Larry’s incredible career and his posture in the music education community.
We live in a culture which is all about speed and noise, technology dominating our daily lives. Yet, as teachers, we hold something in our grasp which is profoundly different, which offers an experience for our students unavailable in any other aspect of their lives. We are caretakers of the human spirit, tenders of the heart providing every child with the sacred and priceless value of playing music. Technology is not going away and neither are we. Let us remember and take inspiration from the power of our quest. They are waiting.

Well that Was Interesting. Now, Where Do We Go From Here and How Do We Get There?

Presenters: Bob Morrison
Synopsis: Description: Public education in the United States will never be the same. Seasoned music and arts education advocate and researcher Bob Morrison will share what the future holds for music education in a post-Covid-19 landscape drawing on his decades of experience at the center of education policy. This session will highlight the immediate risks and outline the opportunities for a renaissance in music and arts education over the next decade.

This Is Not the End of Conn-Selmer Institute, It Is the Beginning! (Close of Second day)

Presenters: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Steve Zapf, Mike Kamphuis and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: The focus of this final keynote address will be to encourage all the participants to embrace all the new information garnered throughout the two days and to integrate the appropriate information into their given programs. There will also be an emphasis on reaching-out to one another…continuing to develop and expand the network of colleagues to share information throughout their professional journey. Also, it’s a reminder of the opportunity to continue to connect with all the Conn-Selmer constituents who are eager and ready to help, support and contribute to the welfare of all music programs. Feeding the relationships are the key!

Keynotes

Maximizing Your Virtual Conn-Selmer Institute Experience

Presenters: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Steve Zapf, Mike Kamphuis and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: This introduction will serve as a welcome to the first-ever VIRTUAL Conn-Selmer Institute. It will be a welcoming introduction to all those who are part of this new endeavor, including a short introduction of the all-star faculty and a quick review of what an exciting learning journey lies ahead. We’ll share an explanation of the various tracks and how to navigate them to their ultimate value. An inspiring launch to the Virtual CSI is the essence of this beginning keynote address.

Life in the Fast Lane

Presenters: Larry Livingston
Synopsis: Introduction of Larry Livingston. Explanation of Larry’s incredible career and his posture in the music education community.
We live in a culture which is all about speed and noise, technology dominating our daily lives. Yet, as teachers, we hold something in our grasp which is profoundly different, which offers an experience for our students unavailable in any other aspect of their lives. We are caretakers of the human spirit, tenders of the heart providing every child with the sacred and priceless value of playing music. Technology is not going away and neither are we. Let us remember and take inspiration from the power of our quest. They are waiting.

Well that Was Interesting. Now, Where Do We Go From Here and How Do We Get There?

Presenters: Bob Morrison
Synopsis: Description: Public education in the United States will never be the same. Seasoned music and arts education advocate and researcher Bob Morrison will share what the future holds for music education in a post-Covid-19 landscape drawing on his decades of experience at the center of education policy. This session will highlight the immediate risks and outline the opportunities for a renaissance in music and arts education over the next decade.

This Is Not the End of Conn-Selmer Institute, It Is the Beginning! (Close of Second day)

Presenters: Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Steve Zapf, Mike Kamphuis and Dr. Nola Jones
Synopsis: The focus of this final keynote address will be to encourage all the participants to embrace all the new information garnered throughout the two days and to integrate the appropriate information into their given programs. There will also be an emphasis on reaching-out to one another…continuing to develop and expand the network of colleagues to share information throughout their professional journey. Also, it’s a reminder of the opportunity to continue to connect with all the Conn-Selmer constituents who are eager and ready to help, support and contribute to the welfare of all music programs. Feeding the relationships are the key!