COLLEGIATE NEWSLINK September 2012 Welcome returning members, new members and chapters! Feature Article: “Networking 101” Adapted from a column by Jessica Hazelton, Nebraska Music Educator, August 2012 As president of the Hastings College (Nebraska) chapter of NAfME Collegiate this past year, I asked our members to suggest clinicians or session topics that were most relevant to them. A response to this question from a freshman really caught me off guard. The student asked, “How do you network?” I’ve been struggling to come up with a good answer since then. Networking is something that has always just come naturally to me: being outgoing, mingling and talking with new people, going to introduce myself to an educator I had heard about, or talking with a speaker following a presentation because I still had questions. I had never thought about how to teach someone else to do that. How scary that must seem to a shy freshman who has only just begun his or her music career. The intent of this article is to make the idea of networking less scary, or even if it remains scary, to show the necessity of networking in hopes of overcoming the fear of it. A typical college student’s response when asked why networking is important is that it will help him or her get a job. While this is true, it is not the only benefit. Let’s say you are a choral rock star, and you are great at analyzing scores and directing. You know theoretically how chords should be balanced and know how you want to interpret the poetry of a song to teach your ensemble. Unfortunately, your ensemble has too many sopranos, some men with really great ears who should really be singing baritone but you had to have them sing tenor, and maybe one bass who can truly hit the lower notes in tune. The arrangement of a song you really want to use simply isn’t working for the ensemble you have. You took a choral arranging class and got through it, but it was never something that really clicked. Lucky for you, you remember going to a conference where a gentleman talked about arranging, and you got his contact information. Or you remember having a conversation with another student at another college who loved to arrange for fun. Or maybe you just know of another music educator a couple of towns away, you met and he has a choir similar to yours. I believe this is the main reason networking is important—to help find solutions to situations that arise throughout your career. Building connections with people is the next big reason networking is important. Take a poll among your fellow music majors. Ask who is good at theory. Look around. Then ask who could use a little extra help with theory. Now look around again. Networking allows a give-and-take relationship. Someone is bound to be good at precisely the thing with which you struggle. In the same respect, you might be really awesome at something which someone else finds difficult. For the past couple of years, I have been an intern for the Nebraska Choral Directors Association’s summer convention, and one of the biggest lessons I learned from attending these conventions is that everyone needs help. Even the educators who have the best ensembles come to these conventions to discuss problems they are facing in their classrooms and to build connections with people who can hopefully help them or give them new ideas. So, how do you start networking? In a simple answer, get involved. Attend state and national conferences. Talk to students from other colleges. Introduce yourself to current music educators. While it might seem scary to take the plunge, it is important to understand that everyone needs help sometime and that all music educators have been in your shoes at some point. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or go up to someone new to start a conversation. When you start talking to people and attending events, slowly people will start remembering who you are. You will be surprised how friendly current music educators are, and you’ll find there is always someone out there willing to lend a hand. Good networking can make a world of difference as you transition from the role of college student to that of a new teacher. It is ultimately up to you to take the step toward your own success which will inevitably lead to the success of your students. MEMBER BENEFIT SPOTLIGHT Collegiate Chapters and Advisors – Here’s a great resource for meetings throughout the year! On September 14, NAfME launched an exciting new member program to help you orchestrate success in your teaching – the NAfME Learning Network! Through the NAfME Learning Network, you can have access to lesson plans, pre-recorded informational videos, weekly Professional Development webinars, and advocacy presentations you can share with your chapter and use throughout your career. NAfME members can subscribe to this exceptional resource at a special members-only annual rate of $49.95. Webinars can be used as Collegiate NAfME meeting programs, completion can be used toward Teacher Recertification Hours and, for an additional fee, college credit. NAfME is collaborating with the SoundTree Institute to offer this resource to you. Visit http://institute.soundtree.com/nafme for a free preview, and subscribe using the promo code “nafmepd” to receive the discounted subscription rate. Tune in to these upcoming webinars free of charge – go to institute.soundtree.com/nafme, click “view webinar”, and select the webinar you wish to view from the box on the right. September 26 to “Maximize your NAfME Membership” at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, October 17, for a special Collegiate webinar at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. This topic is perfect for a Collegiate chapter program! “DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A SUCCESSFUL BAND PROGRAM” This webinar will help you discover the many non-music related tasks that are vital to building and maintaining a successful program. Ways to get the entire school community involved in supporting your program and encouraging your students will be discussed. Writing and developing a mission statement and philosophy of music education, writing lesson plans and starting a parents’ group are vital elements for developing a successful band program. 
General Music Today, an online-only journal published three times a year, offers articles that describe successful practices, share teaching strategies and/or materials, suggest new ideas, or analyze issues of concern to general music education professionals teaching at levels from early childhood through high school and to music teacher educators. The October 2012 issue includes
- Connect and Collaborate by Shelly C. Cooper
- Illumination by Christine Cozzens Hayes
- Lessons That Bear Repeating and Repeating That Bears Lessons: An Interdisciplinary Unit on Principles of Minimalism in Modern Music, Art, and Poetry (Grades 4-8) by Eric Smigel and Nan L. McDonald
- Music and Reading: Finding Connections From Within by Suzanne N. Hall and Nicole R. Robinson
- Rhythmic Instruction From Square One: A Constructivist Teacher and Her Metronome by Beth Ann Miller
- The Dalcroze Approach to Music Education: Theory and Applications by William Todd Anderson
- Soundwalks, Community, and the Secondary General Classroom by Nick Jaworski
- Exploring Music Dynamics Through Children’s Literature by Audrey Berger Cardany
- Students With Learning Disabilities in the Music Classroom by Alice-Ann Darrow
- Demystifying Mixers by Douglas Earl Thompson
- World Music Resources by Amy C. Beegle
To access this issue at no cost, visit NAfME’s Periodicals page and log in using the email NAfME has on file for you and your member number. Please post any comments on the General Music forum. MEMBER BENEFITS AND RESOURCES Search the new NAfME website to find short web articles in several Interest Areas that are contributed by members of the NAfME Societies and Councils. Go to www.nafme.org and click on “for Music Educators” to see the listing of areas in which you can find current articles. They include – Band, Choral, Composition, General Music, Guitar, Orchestra, Jazz, and of course, the Collegiate Advisory Council. Advocacy resources are found by clicking the tab labeled “for Advocates”, and information about the initiatives of the Give A Note Foundation and how to donate to the Foundation are found on the tab “for Supporters”. Member Discounts on NAfME Resources NAfME Collegiate members receive a 25% discount on all resources available from NAfME including publications, videos, and other items covering a wide range of music education topics. Visit the NAfME Store on the website. For more information or to place an order, call 1-800-336-3768 or email NAfME Member Services. NAfME members also receive a discount of 25% by using the code NAfME25 when ordering books from Rowman and Littlefield Education. To order or for more information, call 800-462-6420 or visit www.rowmaneducation.com. NAfME Collegiate Facebook – Like us today!
- Stay connected with other NAfME Collegiate members around the world by joining NAfME’s Collegiate Facebook Fan page. Become a fan on NAfME Collegiate today!
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Follow NAfME on Twitter. NAfME on LinkedIn Connect with fellow NAfME members and music education advocates on LinkedIn, the professional networking site. Participate in discussions about current topics, get music education news, and network with others in the field. To join, log in to LinkedIn, select “Search Groups” from the top dropdown menu, and search for “NAfME.” If you haven’t created an account yet, you can sign up at linkedin.com. Future Teachers Forum Do you have music education questions? NAfME’s mentors have the answers! The mentors are veteran teachers who offer advice in response to your teaching questions. Post questions and read responses on the Future Teachers Forum.
