Hello from Wisconsin!

This week I'm attending a workshop on Comprehensive Musicianship at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. The Wisconsin music associations have truly cornered the market on CM teaching, which is the subject of my dissertation. Essentially, they are promoting the teaching of performance, theory, history, and composition as a single, integrated topic. Too often, we teach the latter three disciplines in a specialized course, like Music Theory at DHS. This workshop challenges us as directors to go beyond teaching notes and rhythms to provide a "comprehensive," or complete, music education in our ensembles. So, when I teach about different chords in band rehearsal or talk about the history of the composer, I am engaging in CM teaching. This is something I've done all along, but this workshop is giving me some ideas about how I can do it in a more organized, intentional manner.

Next year, I hope you will recognize when I am asking you to be analysts, composers, and critics in addition to performers. Don't get me wrong--our main focus will still be learning to play our instruments well so that we can experience high quality music and perform it at the highest level possible. We'll just add on to that traditional model in a way that will make us all better musicians. Think of it as not just performance, but performance with understanding. Stay tuned!

(By the way, I am too old to be staying in a dorm without air conditioning. Just thought you should know that.)