End of the COVID School Year

Wow! What a year it has been. Music education has certainly changed over the past 15 months. One common theme that arises when talking to colleagues seems to be the loss of time. Online teaching requires extra time to prepare, present, and assess. No wonder we are exhausted. Yes, change is hard, but we have endured. We have adjusted to the new normal and are ready to move forward. Some practices that have emerged during the pandemic are worth keeping, while others, should be discarded. Here are my thoughts.

Practices to Discard
Blended learning: Can an educator be successful in teaching students face-to-face while simultaneously teaching another group of students online? I’ve seen valiant teachers struggle very successfully in blended learning environments. But despite their efforts, are the students really learning?

Online conferences: I have mixed feelings about this one. The AMEA 2021 Conference was a highlight for me. I watched great presentations, witnessed inspiring performances, and didn’t have to pay for a hotel room. All things considered, I would rather dig a little deeper into my wallet and spend a few precious days with my colleagues than sit in front of a computer screen.

Parking lot choir performances: If you do not know what I’m talking about, here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl4OoOxrgUg. This is human ingenuity at its best, but I doubt that this type of performance is what the composers intended.

Practices to Keep
Web conferencing: Everyone has become more skillful using Zoom, Google Meet, etc. This is an efficient method of communication. You can speak to large numbers of people without leaving your office and you can exit the meeting without being noticed.

Social Emotional Learning: Music education does more than develop singers who can hit the high notes and instrumentalists who perform with amazing virtuosity. As Bennett Reimer professed, music connects people to their feelings. Campaigns are growing to use the tenets of SEL as a means to assist students with their psychological needs. Music education can play an important role in healing the emotional scars caused by the pandemic.

Web resources: The number and quality of resources on the web have exploded. New resources are being developed every day. I continue to be amazed at what I am able to find.

Students recording themselves: Self-evaluation is an important part of learning. School shutdowns have forced more students to record and evaluate their own performances. This is a good thing! How can we truly understand our abilities if we do not listen to ourselves?

Visions for the Next School Year
As we return to the classroom, I’d like to share three goals for the upcoming school year. First, the HED will play a greater role in promoting professional development opportunities across the state. Our members and their institutions host many of these events. We can help them attract participants. Second, the HED will facilitate reciprocal relationships between institutions of higher education and Pk- 12 schools. We need each other, so let’s communicate! Third, COVID has taken much of the enjoyment out of the classroom. The HED will continue working on ideas to put the excitement back into teaching. One idea has been to partner with our C-NAfME chapter and develop a “Festival of Music Lesson Presentations.” That may be the spark that ignites the joy we are missing. If you have a suggestion, please share it.

In closing, find time to disconnect this summer and breathe. Next year may be the best school year ever!

Music Education in Alabama – Alive and Well!
Colleagues, we have faced many challenges this year. I can proudly announce, however, that we are surviving and thriving. The recent 2021 AMEA Conference provides evidence that music education is not only taking place in Alabama, but that music educators are more determined than ever to continue our strong traditions. The number of participants in this conference strongly suggests that we are resilient and have the enthusiasm and dedication needed to overcome any obstacle. Bring on the future!
In the Higher Education Division, there were several conference highlights that are worthy of acknowledgement. This was the first time that the HED hosted two recitals, one held on Thursday and the other on Friday. The performers presented a wide variety of repertoire with an emphasis on underrepresented composers and new music. Next, the “lightning roundtable” session on Saturday was a fast-paced introduction to several important topics. Although each presenter could have easily filled their own 50-minute time slot, the 10-minute limit kept the session moving quickly. Be assured, you will see more sessions using this format in future conferences. In addition, the quality of our individual sessions was remarkable. We have world-class educators working in our field and sharing their ideas at our conference. Finally, I would like to send a “shout-out” to Russell Greene who managed the technical side of the HED sessions. His attention to detail allowed our sessions to unfold flawlessly. Thank you, everyone!
New ideas are appearing on the horizon. One benefit of having open discussion with colleagues is the generation of new ideas. One idea that has risen to the top is a proposed collaboration between the Higher Education and Collegiate divisions in developing a lesson plan competition. The goal of this competition would be to inspire and motivate pre-service teachers to present their lesson plans in an adjudicated forum similar to All-State. After all, teaching is also a performance-based activity. Participants would receive feedback from experts and discuss their plans with peers. Another idea is the development of a mentoring program that would connect novice and veteran educators. Teacher attrition is a major problem in our field and we can work toward changing these trends by supporting new teachers through mentoring programs. I believe both programs have the potential to positively impact our field.
Please encourage other faculty members to join AMEA. Through this organization, all higher education faculty can make connections with Pk-12 educators and attract new students to their programs. These opportunities exist not only for studio instructors and ensemble directors, but also for composition, theory, and history professors. Let’s build the bridges that allow young people to transition from high school into college and onto rewarding professional careers. Participating in this professional organization is an important first step.

Back in August, my institution held its annual Faculty Institute as a virtual conference. I had reservations at first, but later found it to be outstanding! The upcoming 2021 AMEA Conference will also be held in a virtual format. Based on my prior experience, I am confident in saying that the 2021 AMEA Conference may be the best conference that you have ever attended!

We’ve included all of the elements that you’ve come to expect at a “first-rate” music conference. There will be two General Sessions with awards and keynote speakers. Our exhibitors will be there and you will be able to interact with them via Networking Lounges. There will be a Research Poster Session and an HED Recital. In addition, there will be a virtual happy hour that we are calling “Cocktails with Colleagues.” But just when it couldn’t get any better, we are hosting six presentations that will enlighten and inspire you. These sessions will focus on best practices in a variety of music education areas. But wait, there is more! For the price of admission, you will also have access to three pre-recorded bonus sessions. Kudo’s to the AMEA governing board. They have certainly covered all of the bases!

There is still time to get involved. Research poster applications are being accepted until Nov. 2. Go to the myamea.org website and click on Dr. Jane Kuene’s box with the title Research Poster Update for details. Applications for the HED Recital will be accepted until Nov. 15. Contact Dr. Carly Johnson at cjjohnson@alasu.edu for more information.

HED Studio Instructor Survey

In mid-September, we sent out an informal survey to 191 studio instructors across Alabama to investigate the impact of the COVID pandemic on college-level music instruction. We received responses from 38 instructors. Some responses were anticipated but others provided interesting insights into the future of music education.

Results indicated that most instructors utilized a combination of virtual and in-person instruction (63.16%) while some taught completely online (26.32%) and others taught completely in- person (26.32%). A majority of instructors used Zoom (68.42%) to interact with their students, a few employed Google Meet (7.89%), and no instructor used Microsoft Teams. Individual instructors reported using programs such as Rock Out Loud; Facetime; Facebook and Zoom; and Cleanfeed. As expected, many instructors incorporated hardware devices such as microphones, mixers, digital to analog converters, and various recording devices into their instruction. The collection of brand names and models, however, was beyond the scope of this investigation. In addition, instructors utilized web-based programs such as YouTube (51.35%), SmartMusic (13.51%), FlipGrid (5.41%), and others like GoReact, OBS, DaVinci Resolve, Cleanfeed, Logic – Final Cut Pro, and Loopback to support their instruction.

Some of the more interesting findings may have come from the instructors’ responses to two open-ended questions: “Have any unforeseen benefits come from your virtual instruction? and “What information would you like to share with others about your experience? Responses to the first question organized themselves into four emergent themes (a) Instructional Environment, (b) Self-Evaluation, (c) Attention to Detail, and (d) Learning about Technology. Instructors felt comfortable working from home, noticed that introverted students talked more in the online format, used lesson time more effectively, and dealt with fewer student absences. They also recognized the benefits of having students evaluate their own recorded performances. Students put more effort into their lesson preparation resulting in greater progress. In addition, instructors witnessed an increase in their students’ attention to detail. Vocalists paid more attention to diction while instrumentalists focused on nuances such as hand position. The instructors themselves acknowledged development in their ability to deliver more concise

and effective verbal instruction while the students improved their skills in turning verbal instruction into physical execution. Finally, the pandemic forced instructors and students to learn more about technology. Both found new ways to utilize technology and increased their fluency in a variety of applications. For example, instructors learned to record their instruction, create pedagogical videos, and store PowerPoint presentations for future use. They also learned that guest artists can be included in their lessons easily.

Responses to the second open-ended question (What information would you like to share with others about your experience?) provided further insight. The instructors came to accept the benefits of online instruction and acknowledged that a combination of virtual and in-person instruction worked better that only online or only in-person lessons. Several took the time to remind us about the importance of remaining positive and flexible in these challenging times.

Keep in mind, the results of this survey are limited to its participants and do not generalize to a larger population. All opinions are my own. These findings, however, provide insight into the changes that are taking place within institutions of higher education across Alabama. Further investigation is warranted.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Eric Perry, a doctoral graduate assistant at the University of Alabama, for his help in constructing and administering the survey. He handled the technological “nuts and bolts” turning my ideas into reality. This survey would not have been possible without his efforts. Additional words of appreciate go out to Dr. Carl Hancock for introducing me to Mr. Perry. Thank you, Carl!

I look forward to seeing everyone at the conference.