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NYU CHORAL ARTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT BY CARLA FRIEND

For well over 100 years, the NYU Choral Arts Society has been bringing together the NYU community with the power of choral music. This has been a particularly exciting year for the NYU Choral programs with the introduction of a new choir, some new directors, international tours, TV performances, and much more!

Meet the New Directors! This past fall, the NYU Chorale welcomed its new conductor, Holly Hall. Also currently the director of the Stuyvesant High School choruses, Hall comes to us with a distinguished career as an opera singer, concert conductor, and music educator. She has a notably keen ear and direct approach to shaping and adjusting the ensemble’s sound. Hall’s strong presence and utilization of student leaders allows the ensemble to run like a well-oiled machine, tackling prominent choral masterworks. The Chorale is the largest choir at NYU, consisting of anywhere from 70 to 90 students, faculty, staff, and local community members each semester. This semester, the NYU Chorale is preparing to perform Mozart’s Coronation Mass with a full orchestra! Also new to us this school year is Moana Dherlin, who directs the NYU University Singers. Currently the music teacher and choral director at Excel Charter School in Brooklyn, Dherlin joins the NYU community after extensive work with the Boston’s Children’s Chorus. Dherlin brings to the table an attitude of collabo-ration and community, and her use of solfège to teach complex repertoire allows for the development of musicianship skills in addition to performance preparation. The NYU University Singers is a choir dedicated to works by recent and contemporary composers in a variety of styles, and is currently 38 members strong. In terms of repertoire, Dherlin has selected some challenging and eclectic works by composers Eric Whita-cre, Alberto Grau, and Ivan Hruosovsky.

NYU Choirs: Keeping the Tradition Alive After years of dormancy, the NYU Men’s Glee Club came back to life in Fall 2011 under the direction of John Atorino, an alumnus of Steinhardt’s music education master’s program. From seasoned performers to men who have never sung before, this diverse group brings a fresh energy to every performance. In addition to surprising their audience with new and exciting arrangements of pop repertoire, superhero theme songs, and so much more (along with the tasteful use of movement and sometimes even props), Mr. Atorino has taken it upon himself to incorporate some of the long lost Men’s Glee repertoire, such as the NYU Fight Song! These vintage songs come from a published collection written and arranged by previous Glee mem-bers. The first edition was printed in 1915; currently, the Glee Club is using an edition from 1937!

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF MUSE

SPRING

2014

VOLUME 03

MAY 6, 2014

NYU Choral Arts in the Spotlight..………….1,3

A Farewell to Henry Gates………………………..2

International Double Reed Society Returns to Steinhardt…………………………………………….2

Impressions of the First Year………………...3,4

Behind the Scenes of Next to Normal…..…..3

Fall 2013 Master’s Thesis Research Topics………………………………………..4

Living the Dream: Life After the Master’s……………………………………………..4

Meet Professor Alex Ruthmann!.................5

A-Hunting You Will Go: Tips for Finding Summer Jobs………………………………..5

Managing Performance Anxiety……………….6

On Art and Scholarship………………………..…..6

Snapshots of Japan…………………………………..7

On Being a “Composed” Music Education Major………………………..……………..7

Calendar of Events…………………………………...8

Creative Corner…………………………………..…...8

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For 42 years, the International Double Reed Society has hosted a five-day confer-ence celebrating the bassoon and oboe. Being that both of these instruments are so unique and quite eclectic in the world of music, it comes as no surprise that this conference hosts nearly 1,000 double reed players each year, who range from amateurs to orchestral professionals. This year’s annual conference, held at New York University from August 5-9, is projected to be the largest gathering for the IDRS yet, with an estimated attendance of 2,500 people—a record for any double reed conference based in the United States. It’s with good reason bassoonists and oboists are planning to attend the New York City-based conference. The all-star line up of performers contains some of the most famous household names in the double reed circuit, including bas-soonists Pascal Gallois, Judith LeClair Martin Kuuskmann, and Frank Morelli, and oboists Pedro Diaz, John Snow, and Richard Woodhams. These artists and many more will be featured in a series of four-evening concerts held at NYU’s premier concert hall, The Skirball Center for Performing Arts, located just a block away from New York City’s iconic Washington Square Park. To accompany the selected performers are two prominent ensembles from the Metro Region, the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s and the West Point Band. New York University’s Director of Double Reed Studies, Matt Sullivan, and Adjunct Professor of Bassoon Studies, Gina Cuffari, decided to put a new spin on scheduled evening performances. A special series is scheduled with multiple performers appearing in local jazz clubs, art galleries, and even Washington Square Park. The evening series, entitled “Nights out in the Big Apple,” will allow conference attendees to enjoy the sights and sounds of the greatest city in the world while attending double reed performances. According to Program Director Gina Cuffari, “‘Nights Out in the Big Apple’ will be an exciting array of concerts and events programmed throughout the week in and around Greenwich Village. From the hip vibe of jazz club subculture and Joe's Pub to beautiful outdoor ven-ues, including Washington Square Park, double reed players from around the world will be sharing their unique talents with conference attendees. There will

be something for everyone—classical, jazz, Broadway, pop, new music, and more!” The conference will also offer a unique focus for attendees: musical health and wellness. According to NYU’s Dan Learner, one of the wellness experts pre-senting at this year’s conference, “Today’s performers face rapidly increasing, and heretofore unknown levels of stress, and scientific studies in mental and physical well-being are now rising to meet the challenges and needs of these individuals more than ever before. The growing library of resources that offer advantages in the pursuit of success and excellence—onstage and off—has never been so ro-bustly supported in both research and application.” Host Matt Sullivan commented, adding that “in the era of high stress and immediate response, our well being, both physical and mental, is a very im-portant component for performing at your very best. From performing well to general happiness, well-being is a partner to success in both career and life. IDRS 2014 will bring together an extraordinary team of practitioners and experts in this very important field.” Presentations and workshops will include: “Positive Excel-lence: The potential impact of positive psychology on the road to excellence and expertise,” “Music and the Brain,” “When Playing Becomes Painful,” and “Yoga for the Arts.” Other activities throughout the week will explore all realms of double reeds in music, including performance practice lectures, reed-making classes, master-classes with some prestigious musicians, and artist recitals of double reed music. This year’s International Double Reed Society Conference, with its great line up, in combination with the unique atmosphere and dynamic setting of New York City, will certainly offer an extraordinary opportunity to those in attendance. ⦁

INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE REED SOCIETY RETURNS TO STEINHARDT BY KAITLYN WALKER

A FAREWELL TO HENRY GATES BY JOHN GILBERT

Henry Milo Gates (1922-2014), Husband, Educator, Musician, and Friend to us all, passed away on January 25 in Centerport, Long Island. He served Music Education throughout his life and played an important role at New York University, alongside his devoted wife and music educator, Elaine Gates. Henry Gates brought the NYU Concert Band to new levels of achievement. One highlight was taking the band to Boston and performing a joint concert with Boston University; the band also became a regular fixture of the NYU graduation ceremonies in Washington Square Park. Henry was a renowned Long Island music educator, and taught in the Hicksville Schools. He was chosen to become the third Band Chairman and conductor of con-cert bands at USDAN, one of the premiere summer music and arts programs in the Northeast. He met Elaine at USDAN; their devotion to each other would become legendary. Henry brought his signature spirit of quality and energy to his work, in-spiring students with the confidence that he would guide them to memorable perfor-mances. All students, novices and experts alike, had access to the highest level of his musicianship and inspiration. As a young man, Henry auditioned for the Glenn Miller Band and was accepted as their drummer. Not long after his audition, on December 15, 1944, Major Glenn Miller boarded an airplane bound for Paris. Since joining the war, the great American bandleader's Army Air Force Band had been performing for Allied troops all over England. He had left for Paris to make final arrangements to bring his musicians to a Christmas concert for the Allied troops, but his plane disappeared at sea and was never found; the mystery of what happened was never solved. Thus, Henry Gate’s destiny was diverted, and he became one of the great beloved music educators on the East Coast. Many of his students went on to become professional performers and/or music educators. Everyone was re-quired to become a percussionist, no matter his or her instrument or background. Henry helped people grow both as musicians and as human beings. He remained an ardent and amazing drummer throughout his life. Henry Gates was a supreme gentleman of the highest integrity. He brought a great spirit to NYU Music Education, and continues to be a significant part of who we are today. ⦁

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As students enter the classroom, I stand near the door, greeting them with a smile. I introduce myself to most, remember some names (or, at least try), but actively make my presence known to all. It is the first day of my stu-dent teaching, and while I expect to feel a bit out of place, I know my coursework at New York University has pre-pared me to have a successful student teaching experience. Prior to beginning the Master’s program at Steinhardt, my thoughts on music education were relatively straight and narrow. There appeared to be a goal, and the metaphorical path I would walk alongside my students toward achieving it. Along the way there would be rehearsals, assignments, lessons, auditions, and, ultimately, a performance. Prior to beginning the program, I did not anticipate that my thoughts on music education would change so much in just one year. I now realize that, while a goal still exists, there is not just one path. In fact, each student has an individual path in which there are different speed limits, obstructions, detours, traffic jams—you get the point. The classroom is filled with many different minds and physical capabilities. As an educator, I must teach in a way that challenges, rewards, and allows each student to explore and discover music in different ways. If we reach our goal together, the learning won’t stop after the performance is done. Each class at NYU contributed to my development as a music educator. For example, “Teaching Music for Junior and Senior High School” with Michael Breaux helped me create lesson plans that were thorough from start to finish; I’ve learned that preparation is a critical component to teaching a successful lesson. In “Human Develop-ment in the Arts” with Dr. Magill, I learned about how the human body and mind grow, the capabilities of different ages, how social stigmas can affect my students, and that we never stop educating ourselves. These topics were very important to consider while working with high school students. In “Music for the Exceptional Child” with Dr. Sobol, I learned that there will be students with both mental and physical limitations in my classroom, and how to adapt my teaching in order to reach every student without sacrificing the curriculum. Lastly, “Inquiries into Educa-tion,” a class co-taught by Professors Maura Gouk and Leslie Jirsa, strongly emphasized the importance of building a community within the classroom. Made up of Education majors from all subjects, I felt that this class helped prepare me to work in a diverse setting.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4.)

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1.) Chantel Wright directs the NYU Women’s Choir, made up of about 50 women. Wright is an ordained pastor, the founder of Pneuma Ministries International, and director of Songs of Solomon, Inc. The choir sings pieces in a varie-ty of languages and genres, including classical, gospel, Broadway, and multicultural. This semester, they were intro-duced to a group of Norwegian artists who are interested in composing music for the NYU Women’s Choir to be a part of an artistic film that will premiere in Norway this coming May!

BON VOYAGE, JAZZ CHOIR AND MADRIGAL SINGERS! The NYU Jazz Choir and the NYU Madrigal Singers are the two smaller and more selective vocal groups at NYU. Each is made up of 14 to 16 members, who are chosen largely for their terrific sight-reading skills; the singers must be able to learn and memorize a great range of repertoire in short periods of time. Ira Shankman (Jazz Choir) and Nancy Shankman (Madrigal Singers) both came to NYU after retiring from administrative positions in the New York City Department of Education. The Jazz Choir performs a variety of jazz repertoire, some a cappella and some with an instrumental trio group. The Madrigal Singers perform everything from Renaissance to Rock and all of their music is performed a cappella, without a conductor, and with the addition of movements that they have dubbed “choralography.” The Jazz Choir and Madrigal Singers continually collaborate on a number of exciting performances and tours. This year, they performed on ABC’s Good Morning America for the Christmas morning episode. They also per-formed at New York Fashion Week, modeling the Winter 2013-2014 Moncler Grenoble collection and singing alongside the Pendulum Choir (this performance can be viewed for a limited time at live.moncler.com). In March, they toured in Tokyo, Japan—their third tour abroad, having previously traveled to China and the United Arab Emirates.

THE FUTURE SOUNDS BRIGHT Last but not least, the NYU Choral Arts Society is excited to announce the newest choir, the NYU Alumni Choir. Founded by Tiffany Chiang and Tucker Wheatley, this brand new choir just started rehearsals this March and will have its first performance in May. They believe that choral singing is a vital part of every community and strive to reconnect, build, and foster connections with one another in the NYU Alumni Community. Although the choirs are all based out of the Steinhardt School, many are open to students throughout the entire university and, in most cases, to the community at large. They look forward to welcoming new members each semester! If you are interested in joining, please contact Ira Shankman at is37@nyu.edu to schedule an audi-tion or visit NYU Steinhardt on the web. ⦁

NYU CHORAL ARTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT BY CARLA FRIEND

IMPRESSIONS OF THE FIRST YEAR BY ANDREW BROWN

Each year, the Steinhardt Music Educators of NYU (SMENYU), a club funded by the Stein-hardt Undergraduate Student Government (USG), puts on a musical production. Called A Class Act, students are encouraged to submit proposals to the SMENYU Executive Board in hopes of directing a show of his or her choice. I sat down with the Vocal Director of Next to Normal, Emma Hartmann, to learn more about this exciting production. WHY WAS A CLASS ACT BEGUN? It was started to create performance and directing opportunities for Music Education majors that were seemingly unavailable else-where. HOW WAS NEXT TO NORMAL CHOSEN? Every year, proposals for A Class Act must be submitted and voted on by the members of SMENYU. I was not a part of the proposal-writing process, but I was told that the idea was conceived by our Instrumental Director, Ben Weiss. Next to Normal is Ben's favorite musical, and I'm told that he persuaded our Director, Bernadette Bizer, to write a proposal for it. WHAT IS THE SHOW ABOUT? Next to Normal is a rock musical about a mother (Diana) who is struggling with worsen-ing bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness and her attempts to alleviate it have on her family. It deals with many other intense issues, such as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, modern psychiatry, and suburban life. The book and lyrics are by Brian Yorkey and the music is by Tom Kitt. It is a Tony and Pulitz-er Prize winning musical. SO, YOUR SCHEDULE SEEMED PRETTY STRENU-OUS! WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF PREPAR-ING FOR THE PERFORMANCE? We rehearsed three nights during the week and then for five hours on Sundays. It was a challenging rehearsal schedule, but the best part about preparing for the performance was seeing those glimpses of what it was going to be. After our very first rehearsal in the Black Box Theatre, where the performances were to be held, I got so excited. There were moments when I could see it all coming together and it put a huge smile on my face. There were been lots of fantastic moments during rehearsals and I could hardly wait to see them translated onto the stage during the performances. WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART? To be totally honest, the hardest part of the whole production was the scheduling. I think we accidentally casted the busiest group of people we could find! The schedule had to be revised several times, but thankfully after the

third edit we got it to work. ⦁

BEHIND THE SCENES OF

NEXT TO NORMAL BY EMILY SPITZ

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People ask me all the time if getting a private Master’s degree was worth it. Now that I am out and working (finally), my answer is a resounding “YES!” I have no idea what my experience in the workforce would be like with-out my time at NYU, but I do know how my time at NYU set me up to succeed in my program. First of all, the network you build through your time at NYU is invaluable during the hiring process. Finding a job is hard. Really, really hard. Are you scared yet? It’s never too soon to feel the heat. Everything they tell you about networking is true, so do it. The good news is you build it incidentally, through relationships with professors, classmates, and cooperating teachers. I got hired very late, and only through who I knew. Thanks, NYU! The job I did get ended up being an absolute dream. I am teaching K-6 Music, building my own program from the ground up with an immensely supportive administration. On top of that, I am gigging both freelance and with a full-time band that plays road shows most weekends. I am on the grind, but I am living the dream. It’s not easy balancing the performer/educator dual identity, or managing what little time the lifestyle affords you. NYU, once again, gave me the conditioning I needed to pull this off. I learned how to teach all day and then go do something else all night through student teaching. Student teaching is the best. Period. It packs the most real world learning into the smallest window of time, and I encourage everyone to take full advantage. Go all in! Learn all the names. That goes for staff and administra-tion as well! Be there five days a week. Generate data. Give assessments. Correspond with parents! Go to cohort,

reflect on your own practice, and take risks! It’s the safest space you’ll have to do so. Write everything down and do not lose it. Most of what I do that works I learned while student teaching; everything I wish I knew how to do better (e.g. bulletin boards, instrument bids, report cards, parents), I could probably have learned while student teaching. I find myself revisiting those experiences daily. I also find myself referring back to my thesis all the time! I wrote about Hip Hop in schools, and how to teach it ethically. I certainly never imagined I would be going over my academic writing with my Dean and Principal on my first job! To give a concrete example, I am working on a Hip Hop unit with my sixth graders. The “Core Four” pillars of Hip Hop are: DJing, MCing, B-Boying, and Graffiti. Is it even

possible to teach graffiti in schools? How do you validate an act that is, by nature, vandalistic as a part of an inter-disciplinary music culture? I definitely have nightmares of losing my job due to my kids tagging trains, but here’s what I did—I submitted a proposal to my school’s principal to paint a wall of my classroom with chalkboard paint. A weekend and several coats later, it is now their space. It is a space for them to freely draw, write, express, and dialogue—with me, with each other, and with the world. It is a Graffiti Wall, it is Hip Hop as democratic practice, and it definitely would never have happened without my Master’s research. I guess the lesson here is to write about something you love, student teach your heart out, and get ready to live the dream. ⦁

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3.) The thing that I liked most about each of these classes is that they allowed me to practice teaching. I learned the most by standing in front of my peers and teaching my lessons as if they were my students. We then had discussions on how to improve, in which critical analysis was offered by my peers; as much as I learned from teaching my own lesson, I learned just as much from watching others. Student teaching definitely helped me prepare for my career in education in other ways that my classes could not. It gave me the chance to develop and sharpen skills that could only be practiced in a real classroom setting. For example, I realized that classroom management is a large undertaking when working with high school students. It takes a lot of effort to gain their respect, which I find to be a prerequisite to a successful lesson. It took weeks for me to feel as though I had reached a level of leadership where I demonstrated a healthy balance of productivity and discipline (after all, it is very hard for me to be mean). Stemming from classroom management is the ability to be a listener and an advisor; as an educator, I wear many hats. While it took time, I eventually helped my cooperating teacher discuss a variety of topics with students ranging from personal issues to college advisement. These discussions cannot be simulated in training. Looking back, I was comfortable student teaching, and I credit a lot of that to the classes that I took at NYU. Having just begun to test my capabilities in a public school, I feel as though my education from NYU, combined with the experience of student teaching, have prepared me for a successful career in the field. ⦁

“It’s not easy balancing the performer/educator dual identity, or managing what little time the lifestyle affords you. NYU, once again,

gave me the conditioning I needed to pull this off.”

AKINI ANHONY GILL: “Teaching Music to Children with Learning Disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago”

ANDERS J. VERCELLI: “Maria Montessori’s Method of Music Education in Montessori Schools Today”

FANGYUAN CHEN: “Music Education at the United Na-tions International School, New York City: A Case Study”

GEORGE PHILIPS: “Beginning Group String Instruction In Public Schools of North America: A Voice-based Model”

JONATHAN PETER LIJOI: “The Clave Effect: A Survey and Analy-sis on the Teaching of Latin American Music in Select New York City Schools”

MÉLANIE MARFAING: “The Relevance of Improvisation in Music Education”

YOUNGEUN KIM: “Playing Gayageum in the Music Class-room: The Reality of Multicultural Music Education in the United States”

YOU WU: “Comparison of Orff-Schulwerk Tech-niques Used in Chinese Primary Schools in Hangzhou and Those Used in Selected Elementary Schools in New York City”

FALL 2013 MASTER’S THESIS

RESEARCH TOPICS

LIVING THE DREAM: LIFE AFTER THE MASTER’S BY LOUIS RUSSO

IMPRESSIONS OF THE FIRST YEAR BY ANDREW BROWN

5

MEET PROFESSOR ALEX RUTHMANN!

If you would like more infor-mation on Dr. Ruthmann’s

research or want to get Involved, visit his website at www.alexruthmann.com, or

follow him on Twitter as @alexruthmann.

New music education faculty member Dr. S. Alex Ruthmann is hitting the ground running, starting new projects at

the intersection of music education and music technology here at NYU Steinhardt! Dr. Ruthmann joined the faculty

in September 2013 as Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Technology after previously spending five

years at UMass Lowell near Boston, Massachusetts.

Ruthmann has been busy meeting with students, alumni, community, and industry partners setting up the new

NYU Music Experience Design Lab (MusEDLab), which can be seen online at www.musedlab.org. In the MusEDLab,

Ruthmann and his student assistants research and develop new technologies and experiences for music-making,

learning, and engagement. Their work is already leading toward new software and hardware you will see online and

in classrooms in the near future.

Working with singer/songwriter Clara Berry, her engineer/producer, Bradford Swanson, and a Music Technolo-

gy graduate student, Ethan Hein, Ruthmann developed and led a creative music production massively open online

course (MOOC), entitled “Play With Your Music.” This 6-week long, free online course was developed in partnership

with the MIT Media Lab and Peer2Peer University. Course participants developed skills in critical listening, recording

analysis, audio effects, and mixing and remixing strategies. The online course was augmented with weekly live inter-

views with NYU Steinhardt faculty and other luminaries in the audio and music technology fields.

Last fall, Dr. Ruthmann also began teaching a new course, “Designing Technologies and Experiences for Music

Making, Learning and Engagement.” In this new course, students work together with industry and community part-

ners in designing new technologies that solve problems for music educators.

Dr. Ruthmann also established the monthly NYC Music Technology Educator Meet-up workshops at NYU Stein-

hardt. These free, 3-hour workshops run from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. on the second Saturday of each month, and bring

together music educators, technology developers, high school and college stu-

dents, and university faculty from across the Greater NYC area. To par-

ticipate, you can sign up at www.meetup.com/NYC-Music-

Tech-Educator-Meetup. ⦁

Summer break is both the most satisfying reward for the time you spent writing those fifteen final essays and the effort you put into remaining awake during particularly boring lectures all year. Yet, if you’re anything like myself, along with the glorious feeling of lying in bed past 2 P.M. on a weekday comes a great deal of ennui. What now? Gone are the days of summer camp or study prep; even the jobs that seemed acceptable as a high school student now seem unappealing. You’re a college student, and you’re eager to expand your resume with evidence of the personal skills you believe are useful and marketable! My first summer home from college, I found myself wondering what jobs I could possibly find that would be relevant to my status as a Music Education major. It’s not like schools were in session over the summer, and even so, I had no credentials to teach yet, anyway. Of course, I encourage you to seek out gigs to expand your resume and keep your performance chops up; for those stu-dents staying in New York City, especially, this is a solid option. As I was in a small suburban town with few public performance opportunities available, I found myself coveting an internship, something my non-music major friends were all lusting after at the time. I will say this now: it is not cheating on Music Education to expand your repertoire of skills (no pun intended) by gaining valuable work experience any-where that you can find it. The skills you will learn wherever you end up are not limited to that job alone. Case in point: interning in a TV newsroom that sum-mer, I learned better time management, how to write less wordily (despite what you may see here), and how to cold-call random strangers and demand infor-mation. I have to say, I got over a lot of my shyness, and I believe that this will help me in dealing with school administration, colleagues, and parents of my students in the future. Also, job experience is never a negative to employers. Several employers have hired me based solely on the fact that I’ve done lots of things, regardless of how random and unrelated they may seem!

So, how do you find a summer job or internship, you ask? My next sum-mer I was able to scope out opportunities in advance, as I was better prepared for deadlines and a veteran to internship applications. I was able to land an internship in the Education department of the San Francisco Opera after doing some informal Google searches for “music education internship San Francisco” and the like. Google is your friend—take advantage of it! I suggest seeking out music venues and performing arts groups that you are already aware of in your area first, and then scouring their websites for job opportunities (look for an “Employment” section, usually found at the bottom of the web page). If nothing comes up, do not be afraid to use sites like Craigslist. I found a great paid job teaching children ages 6-11 science; even though I had to relearn a lot of ele-mentary school level concepts, it was a great way to gain classroom experience (especially classroom management skills!) and I was able to make some money in the process. When applying to jobs, be sure to prepare a resume that is no longer than one page. For examples of resumes, visit NYU’s Wasserman Center (in person or online) or just do an online search for examples. No one wants to read your life story on paper—to an extent, that’s what the interview is for. Do not be dis-heartened if no one replies to you. I applied to about twenty different jobs, and received a measly two replies. ALWAYS write a cover letter, even if they do not ask for one. Employers love personalized cover letters; they do not want a ge-neric one. Sell yourself: why are you suited for this job, and why do you want it? Be honest, and don’t lie if you’re unfamiliar with certain aspects of the work. Remember: if it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. The world is your oyster, young undergraduate. Do not squander your time sitting at home doing nothing when you could be building yourself up to be a desirable candidate for a teaching position right after graduation. Trust me—there will be plenty of time for Netflix after work. ⦁

A-HUNTING YOU WILL GO: TIPS FOR FINDING SUMMER JOBS BY EMILY SPITZ

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Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote in his journal: “We are shut in schools...for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.” His critical view of education and of the “establishment” embodies the nature of an artist, and it is as relevant now as it was in the early nineteenth century. There has always been a clear dichotomy between the life of an artist and the life of a scholar since the invention of school-ing for the “common man.” The natural, philosophical development of an artist exists in strict opposition to the fundamental obligation of public education, which is to serve as the “great equalizer” of all people, providing an opportunity towards an ultimate goal of knowledge and prosperity. However, in pursuit of this knowledge, schools idolize and perpetuate the works and philosophies of artists, whether we read their literature, listen to their mu-sic, study their laws, or analyze their paintings. For the practical educator in terms of today’s standards, Emerson’s view of public education can be interpreted as pretentiously condescending, while the focus of schools shifts from art to “relevant” forms of knowledge in preparation for university and subsequent careers. However, for me, an arts educator and advocate in the face of opposition and irrelevance, Emerson’s words have become a battle-cry towards an educational reformation. Knowledge of the arts can only be defended as a necessary element of public education after viewing a school lacking in artistic development. I have worked in an elementary school as a reading and math tutor for the past two years, and while I have done a tremendous amount of work attempting to develop a natural desire and excitement for these subjects, I entered this position with the hope of participating in arts classes. Upon arriving, I found a severe deprivation of a centralized arts program. The school presented itself as including Art and Music in its curriculum, but upon observing these classes, I noticed a clear lack of urgency and excitement expected from arts teachers in an environment where their position in public schools is believed to be increasingly extraneous. Even with all the inadequacies of the arts program, the stress put on the general teachers for high achievement in state standardized tests has forced them to keep children out of these artistic activities in order to make more time for test preparation. The stress of preparation breeds hostility in the classroom, and children are frequently silenced, told not to speak, not to draw, not to hum, and not to partake in any activity that would hinder them from ingraining the formulaic approach to arbitrary essay-writing and question-answering. Implementing this formula has created a bleak and senseless environment where the children are incapable of expressing themselves or forming ambitions. Despite all of this, creativity and the pursuance of art and knowledge prevails. It seeks survival and flourishes in the face of strongest opposition. Individual artistic pursuit will always exist, but I am a firm believer in the marriage between the artist and the scholar and the inclusion of art in public schools. These two seemingly distant philosophies are frequently intertwined, and, ultimately, one cannot live without the other, so with the development of a dynamic curriculum, I advocate for not only the inclusion of arts education, but for the obliga-tion of arts education for the betterment of all individuals and the whole of society. ⦁

“However, for me, an arts educator and advocate in the face of opposition and irrelevance, Emerson’s words have become a

battle-cry towards an educational reformation.”

ON ART AND SCHOLARSHIP BY THOMAS WERRING

MANAGING

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY BY EMILY SPITZ AND EMMA HARTMANN

As music education majors, we are expected to be equal parts performer and educator (I’d throw “actor” into that mix as well, but I suppose that is implied). As such, we are constantly performing, whether it is in a class-room or on the stage. There is no one “recital season” or “concert season” for us—such performances seem to be nonstop. Yet, many of us express feeling some sort of performance anxiety each time we step onto a stage. Despite the fact that we should feel comfortable in front of our peers, most of us feel even more nervous when we are being heard by trained musicians, whether they are our friends or not! Thus, here are some things to keep in mind to help you manage your stress the next time you glance at your calen-dar and take note of an upcoming perfor-mance.

Limit caffeine and sugar intake the day of

the performance. This one may seem like something your doctor would say, but if you’re often affected by performance anxiety, you probably get shaky the minute you begin to play or sing. As such, you should try not to exacerbate this jittery feeling with caffeine and sugar. Forgo the latte until after the final number.

Over-inflate your ego. This is my person-

al favorite. It’s also quite easy: just pretend you are a flawless human being that can do no wrong. Leave all the self-doubt behind. Basically, imagine that you are Beyoncé.

Step out of your own shoes and into

those of the audience members. Alt-hough you may think everyone out there is judging you and can totally tell that you missed an F-sharp in the last chromatic run, this is pretty unrealistic. The people who are attending your concert are there to support you. No one goes to a concert to say negative things about it, unless they have no soul. If they have no soul, you should not be friends with them anyway.

Do some mindfulness techniques. They

don’t have to be actual meditation techniques, but if you have some tech-niques for calming yourself down in high-stress situations (musical or otherwise), utilize them. Take a walk, do some breathing exercises, pet a dog/cat. Anything that takes your mind off of the feelings of anxiety that you are experi-encing will help you.

Recognize that it happens to everyone.

You’re not alone: even professionals remark that they feel anxiety about performing from time to time. Just remember the ultimate goal: to make beautiful music for you and those who have come to listen. If you make a few mistakes, so what? It’s all about the process, anyway. The journey is more

important than the destination. ⦁

March 28, 2014 marked the third successful NYU-hosted Music Education Mixer,

which took place in the Rosenthal Pavilion in the Kimmel Center. Between the

good food and inspiring speeches, Music Education majors and music educators

from all over the city mingled the night away. Great job, SMENYU members!

7

The highlight of the trip, for me, was our performance at the Tokyo American Club. Being an international student, it was interesting to, once again, be in an environment deeply rooted in both Asian and American cultures. Both were equally and naturally embraced—and both were just as native as they were to each other. Feeling familiar and safe, I was able to immerse myself comfortably and entirely in the music while on stage, communicating to the audience in a language that surpasses country borders. It was during this performance that I was able to experi-ence the joys of being in a group ensemble, especially the Madrigals. The second that we stepped into our for-mation on the stage, it occurred to me that, even though we were all nervous and we all had high levels of adrena-line, we were all there for one another. We all had the same goal: to perform the music to the best of our abilities. Everyone is an integral part of this ensemble; we feel disoriented when even one member is missing. I am blessed to have an entire ensemble of musicians to trust and rely on. It was truly one of the best ensemble experiences I have ever had. Turns out, this performance was not only well executed, but well received, too. I was told that during one of our slow songs, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” some audience members were moved to tears. I was not surprised! The concert was also held to remember the tragedy of the Fukushima earthquake, and to remember the victims that were affected by this tragic event. I felt humbled to take part in this remembrance. We often take our peace for granted, and we can easily get stressed over small issues in our own lives. Performing in this concert was really a reality check for me; it was a reminder that anything could go wrong at any second of our lives, and that we are not in control. We can only live our lives to the fullest while we have the chance. Something that surprised me was learning that string instruments are more expensive than all other instruments in Japan. We observed at a public middle school, and we were blown away by the organization, cleanli-ness, and the maturity of their performance. To our surprise, we learned that they had only played for around two to three years! Only a few students had their own instruments to practice with at home, and very few took private lessons. Their band meets from Monday to Saturday each morning before school in order to rehearse. The stu-dents really obeyed the teacher during the performance, and they seemed to have a lot of respect for him. From this experience, I really learned that concentration, discipline, and your own determination to succeed in music-making are truly the keys to crafting a wonderful performance. This trip really left me wondering about the balance between several factors in music-making: submis-sion versus discipline, creativity versus freedom, etc. To what extent should we, as musicians and students, have confidence in our own playing instead of endlessly striving for perfection in the practice room? Also, to what extent should a teacher give freedom to students on their own musical journey—a chance to find what works for them? When should the teacher allow students to choose their own repertoire? When is it right to allow a student to play a piece the way he interpreted it before stepping in to make him see it your way? As teachers, we must try and find a way to preserve the innate creativity and fresh ideas of a student while still nurturing his mastery of technique. ⦁

SNAPSHOTS OF JAPAN BY AMBER CHANG

Hi, readers! My name is Ben Weiss, and I recently switched my Music Education focus from piano to music composition. I am the only Music Education major to have done this thus far, and this is mostly because taking composition lessons isn’t really advertised as a focus in our program. Most people assume we have to concentrate on our voice or instrument, but when I came to NYU, I knew from the start that I wanted to further my studies in composition. My initial plan was to take primary piano lessons and secondary lessons in composition, but I soon found that I didn’t have the room in my schedule, or the credits to do so. I thought about it for a few weeks and decided to make the switch. I studied classical piano in a conservatory-like setting for several years prior to coming to NYU, and felt that my piano skills were sufficient enough, considering where I planned to apply them professionally. The only issue with this switch was the sudden halt of those piano studies. In order to make sure that I’m actively im-proving, I thrive off of a lot of self-discipline and self-motivation. Instead of pre-paring difficult repertoire for a teacher to critique, I now have to practice for myself, and be able to listen for my own weaknesses. This is a sacrifice, but one I’m willing to make in order to foster my skills and knowledge in composition. Right now, I’m studying composition with NYU Composition faculty member Joseph Church. Joe is a phenomenal composer, educator, and musical director. He was the original conductor for Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway and is currently a keyboard substitute for The Book of Mormon. Having a teach-er like Joe, who has such a wealth of knowledge about a field I’m so passionate about, made the switch a no-brainer. We immediately clicked, since we both know so much about musical theater, and I was finally able to speak “music director talk” with someone who knows every nook and cranny of the business.

Joe and I have been working on several different types of compositions, includ-ing theme and variations, piano solos, pieces for musical theater, string chamber works, and even band pieces. Being that I’m an aspiring music educator, I asked myself prior to making this change how my expertise in composition could be useful within the classroom setting. It dawned on me how invaluable composition actually is to the music educator, and it even brought me all the way back to my experiences in elementary school. Mr. Sugar, my old elementary school music teacher, would write songs with his students. He would play chords along with melodies that he wrote, allowing the students to brainstorm lyrics to them. Of course, in the end, the songs were written primarily by him, but they were comprised of all of his students’ ideas. With Joe teaching me the fundamentals of songwriting,, I hope to emulate what Mr. Sugar did in his classroom in my own one day. I also recently began drafting a unit plan for AP Music Theory stu-dents that is designed to be administered in the week after the AP exam. The unit involves writing music to poetry and teaching students the fundamentals of songwriting, like rhyme scheme, melody-writing, chord progression, and, most importantly, setting music to the text. This is certainly an ambitious unit to give to high school students, but judging from my own experiences, I believe that it is absolutely feasible. In conclusion, pursuing music composition is definitely an option for Music Education majors at NYU! It shouldn’t replace your studies in your prima-ry instrument/voice, but if you feel that you have a level of competency and self-motivation to continue studying your instrument/voice on your own and have a true passion for music composition, there’s no reason not to try it. ⦁

ON BEING A “COMPOSED” MUSIC EDUCATION MAJOR BY BENJAMIN WEISS

Amber Chang travelled to Japan with the NYU Madrigal

Singers and NYU Jazz Choir this March. She is a junior at NYU

pursuing a major in Music Edu-cation and a minor in Philoso-

phy. Besides being the self-proclaimed “human pitch pipe”

of the NYU Madrigal Singers, she plays violin in several small

chamber ensembles.

Have something you’re dying to write

about that’s related to Music Educa-

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GRADUATE EDITOR: Jeremy Franze

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NEWSLETTER DESIGN: Emily Spitz

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DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY: Chianan Yen

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The sink is ok she doesn’t mind me that much Doesn’t really notice me she’s always wrapped up In her own thoughts Sinks are deep But the cabinet… he hates me He thinks I copy him But its not my fault He’s jealous Because the people They pay me more attention Which is nice But I kinda feel used Because they don’t look at me They look at themselves No one has actually looked at me For a while

My frame My shiny glass Everyone Is too preoccupied With themselves I sometimes reflect On my purpose To be things But not me I have no identity It’s a hard life Being a mirror

STAROMĚSTSKÉ NÁMĚSTÍ BY NICOLE PRISCO

NYU COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 @ 8:00pm

NYU COMPOSERS ENSEMBLE

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 @ 8:00pm

MUSIC EDUCATION JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Thursday, May 8, 2014 @ 8:00pm

SPRING CHORAL CONCERT I

Friday, May 9, 2014 @ 7:30pm

SPRING CHORAL CONCERT II

Saturday, May 10, 2014 @ 7:30pm

NYU SYMPHONY

Monday, May 12, 2014 @7:00pm

WOODWIND CHAMBER MUSIC

Tuesday, May 13, 2014 @ 8:00pm

SING INTO SPRING

Saturday, May 17, 2014, 2014 @ 7:30pm