SUMMER INSTITUTE JULY 2OTH AND JULY 21ST HOPKINTON HIGH SCHOOL

Schedule of Sessions

Thursday, July 20th 10:00-10:50 Key Note Address Dr. Fred Harris, Director of Bands, MIT Auditorium 11:00-11:50 Band Strand Session 1 “Wind Band Warm-ups: Fundamentals and Focus” This session will explore ideas and practices for warming up bands at all levels/ages. The goal is to provide directors or future directors with new ideas to improve their ensemble’s tone, balance, and blend and to prepare students for the music rehearsing that follows the daily warm-up. Todd Shafer, Blackstone Millville Regional High School Auditorium Choral Strand Session 1 “Tips for Successful Choral Programming” Ashley Nelson, King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham Band Room String Strand Session 1 “Grade 2-4 String Repertoire Favorites” Colleen MacDonald, Weston Library 12:00-1:00 Lunch Please consult the list of area restaurants at the back of the program guide. 1:00-1:50 Band Strand Session 2 “Individualizing Instruction in the Large Ensemble” John McClellan, Chenery Middle School, Belmont Auditorium Choral Strand Session 2 “Warm-Ups: A Voice Lesson in Every Rehearsal” Ashley Nelson, King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham Band Room String Strand Session 2 “Effective Warm-Ups with the Middle School String Orchestra” Colleen MacDonald, Weston Library

2:00-2:50 Panel Discussion “MICCA Offerings” This session will outline the various offerings of the MICCA organization. Auditorium 3:00-3:50 Band Strand Session 3 “Festival Preparation” This session will discuss the long-term preparation involved in bringing a group to a festival. Topics will include literature selection, pacing of preparation, performance rubrics and rehearsal techniques. Jason Bielik, North Middlesex Regional High School, Townsend Auditorium Choral Strand Session 3 “Choral Teaching for Band Specialist” After years of participating in the MICCA festival with both her concert band and chorus, attending the All-State Festival and Conference, attending the Central District Senior High Festival rehearsals every year, participating in the Handel and Haydn Society’s Youth Collaborative Concert with her students, and bringing in guest conductors to work with her own students, Caryn has attended workshops and observed many hours of rehearsals/clinics with the most experienced directors. This is where she has gained the most applicable choral teaching techniques. Caryn looks forward to sharing these strategies during her session in the Choral Strand. She will also provide participants with a list of repertoire that she has gathered and has found to be successful with her students. This session will be an opportunity for fellow teachers to ask questions and share concerns. With more and more experience, Caryn has developed a passion for working with high school vocalists and finds the differences between teaching band and chorus truly inspiring. Caryn Wardwell, Lunenburg High School Band Room String Strand Session 3 "Creativity and the Young Instrumentalist - Preparing Orchestral Students for Festival Performance" MICCA rubric? How do we interpret these standards to young musicians? This session will focus on rehearsal techniques that help to prepare young ensembles for festival performance. Together, we will discuss best practices on bringing students beyond notes and rhythms. Don't forget to bring your instruments! Dianne Plouffe, Franklin Schools Library 5:00 Social Hour Legends Sports Bar and Grille DoubleTree Hotel 11 Beaver Street Milford, MA

Friday, July 21st 10:00-10:50 Panel Discussion “What is your evaluator looking for?” Chris Martin,Matt Lefebvre, and Dr. Carol Cavanaugh, Westborough Public Schools Auditorium 11:00-11:50 Band Strand Session 4 “A Concept-Based Jazz Curriculum & Rehearsal” In this session, we will focus on how to teach a concept-based jazz curriculum to developing high school programs. Concepts such as teaching improvisation, ensemble skills, repertoire selection, and rehearsal techniques will be discussed. Handouts will be provided. Aaron Bush, Foxboro High School (formerly Pollard Middle School) Auditorium Choral Strand Session 4 “Incorporating Contemporary A Cappella into Your Music Department” Pop A Cappella is all the rage on college campuses around the country, but it’s exponential growth in the last 10 years means many educators didn’t have the exposure to this repertoire that their middle and high school students will. This session will bring you up to speed by exploring the basics of the contemporary a cappella genre, and we’ll discuss what it takes to get a group up and running at your school. Shannon McNulty, Marlborough High School Band Room String Strand Session 4 “Hot Cross Buns: An Inside Look at the Heart of an Elementary String Program” Part 1 Valerie Clemans and Judy Gerratt, Westborough Public Schools Library 12:00-1:00 Lunch Please consult the list of area restaurants at the back of the program guide. 1:00-1:50 Band Strand Session 5 “Developing an Elementary School Band: Creating well balanced, expressive ensembles.” Chris Baird, Blanchard Memorial Elementary School From the Instrument Demo to the Concert Stage, strategies for getting a better ensemble sound and rehearsal management, repertoire suggestions and preparing for performance. Auditorium

Choral Strand Session 5 “Interpreting Contemporary A Cappella Arrangements” Lots of new and exciting contemporary a cappella literature is showing up in print, but similar to vocal jazz, gospel, or any other specialized sub-genre of vocal music, it is important to know how to interpret the page to help your performers have the highest level of success. In this session, we will look at printed scores from various contemporary a cappella arrangers, and break them down to the nuts and bolts of their content. We’ll discuss the things that make contemporary a cappella sound the way that it does, listen to some exemplars, and even try our hand at singing the scores together. Shannon McNulty, Marlborough High School Band Room String Strand Session 5 “Hot Cross Buns: An Inside Look at the Heart of an Elementary String Program” Part 2 Valerie Clemans and Judy Gerratt Library 2:00-2:50 Band Sharing Session: Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Auditorium Choral Sharing Session: Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Band Room String Sharing Session: Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Library 3:00-3:50 Band Sharing Session (continued): Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Auditorium Choral Sharing Session (continued): Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Band Room String Sharing Session(continued): Questions, Concerns, and Best Practices Library

Clinician Bios Chris Baird is the band instructor at the Blanchard Memorial Elementary School in Boxborough, MA where he directs the Concert Band, Beginning Band, Jazz Band and Brass Ensemble as well as teaching private lessons on all the brass instruments. He has also directed brass ensembles at the RJ Grey Junior High School and the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. His bands and ensembles have attended the Micca Concert Festival and Solo and Ensemble Festivals many times. Additionally his groups have performed at Symphony Hall, Mechanics Hall, the National Heritage Museum, the Follen Church in Lexington, Providence Civic Center, the DCU Center in Worcester, Wood Park in Hudson and at numerous fundraisers and events throughout the Acton and Boxborough communities. Chris received his Bachelor of Music degree in trombone performance from the New England Conservatory where he was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, a National Honorary Music Society and his Master of Music degree in trombone performance from the Yale School of Music. A former member of the Mexico City Philharmonic Chris is currently second trombonist with the Plymouth Philharmonic and has been freelancing in the Boston area for 30 years. He has performed with the Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra, National Lyric Opera Orchestra, Springfield Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Orchestra of Indian Hill, Emmanuel Music, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, Ice Capades, Epic Brass, Cantabrigia Brass, Boston Brass Ensemble and his own quintet, the Brass Connection. Jason Bielik has been director of bands for 10 years at North Middlesex Regional High School in Townsend, MA where he teaches/oversees Marching Band, Concert Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Winter Percussion, Winter Color Guard, and the Pit Orchestra. Prior to teaching at NMRHS he was the band director for 4 years in Thompson, CT. In that time groups have earned gold medals at MICCA and MAJE events and won division titles at NESBA fall and winter events. The Wind Symphony and Concert Band have participated in the MICCA Gold Medal Showcase numerous times, performing at Mechanics Hall and Symphony Hall. In 2016 the NMRHS Wind Symphony was a featured Concert Hour performer at the MMEA All-State Conference. He has been MMEA Central District Chairperson, MICCA Gold Medal Showcase Coordinator, MICCA Summer Institute Coordinator, and will serve as MICCA Vice President staring in the fall of 2017. Aaron W. Bush has been the Director of Middle School Bands in the Needham Public Schools since 2008. As a teacher and conductor, Aaron directs the 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands, Middle School Jazz Ensemble and Middle School Wind Ensemble. Under his direction, the performing ensembles in Needham have consistently received state, regional, and national recognition at adjudicated events and festivals. The Needham Middle School ensembles have regularly performed at Boston Symphony Hall as gold-medal recipients in the annual MICCA Music Festival. As a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, Mr. Bush has worked with numerous groups across the greater New England area. In addition to his work in Needham, Aaron is the director of the South Shore Conservatory’s Summer Music Festival Jazz Ensemble in Hingham, MA, and serves as a faculty member of the Foxboro Jazz Improvisation Summer Workshop. This coming school year, Aaron will be assuming the role of High School Band Director for the internationally-recognized Foxboro High School Music Program.

Colleen MacDonald has been teaching in the Weston Public Schools since 1999, where she is currently the elementary and middle school orchestra director. Mrs. MacDonald is also the conductor of the Rivers Philharmonia Orchestra and is a conductor at the Summer Youth Orchestra camp. Mrs. MacDonald received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Catholic University of America and later earned her Master of Music Education degree from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Mrs. MacDonald has served in numerous volunteer positions with MMEA, including Eastern District Junior and Senior Concert Coordinator and All State Concert Chair. Currently she serves as the Eastern District String Audition Chair. She has frequently served as a guest conductor and adjudicator at music festivals throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Shannon McNulty is the Choral Director at Marlborough High School, where she is the conductor of two traditional choral ensembles, co-directs the contemporary a cappella group Voices ReChoired and is the founder and teacher of the innovative high school a cappella recording class, Music Production. This class has been recognized with placements on BOHSA and a 2016 CARA for Best High School Arrangement. In 2014, Marlborough High School recognized her commitment to students and her innovative programming by naming her “Teacher of the Year”. Shannon joined The Vocal Company in 2013, where she currently serves as Director of Education. Shannon plans the popular Next Level seminars, as well as acappellaEd events held across the country. Shannon has a B.M in vocal performance and music education (Ithaca College, 2007) and a M.M. in music education (Boston University, 2012). She is a member of NAfME, ACDA, CASA, and AEA. Ashley Nelson is a choral conductor, composer/arranger and private music instructor living in the greater Boston area. She holds a master’s degree in music education from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts has always taken an active part in MA music education and festival organizations, currently serving as Membership Chair for the Massachusetts’ chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.Ashley has been the successful director of many public school choirs during her career and enjoys working with other area ensembles as clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor. She also directs the Charles River Chorale, based in Millis, MA.Additionally, Ashley is a composer and arranger of choral works, several published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc. This is Judy Gerratt’s seventeenth year teaching in the Westborough Schools, where she created their current innovative beginning strings curriculum. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music, she her career as a professional violinist, performing extensively with such groups as Emmanuel Music, the Boston Baroque and Handel & Haydn Society Orchestras and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. She has also has performed in various improvisational settings in both Europe and the US. Ms. Gerratt is also a London trained, S.T.A.T. certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique of kin-esthetic re education. During her teaching career, she has served on the faculties of both the Longy School of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, as well as maintaining a private violin/viola and Alexander Technique practice in her home studio in Grafton, MA. Over the last 30+ years, Ms. Gerratt has been a student and practitioner of various forms of meditation and mindfulness, working extensively in the field of collective consciousness. She incorporates this experience

and her love of inquiry in the classroom setting, guiding her students through practices of deep stillness and the cultivation of group awareness. In addition to her work in the Westborough Schools, Valerie Clemans is concertmaster of Symphony Pro Musica and performs with the Trillium Trio and the Serata String Quartet. Before moving to Massachusetts, Ms. Clemans served as concertmaster of the Maryland Symphony for four seasons and was an active freelance violinist in the Washington D.C. area. Previously, she was co-concertmaster of the New World Symphony in Miami, and in 1997 she was selected by Sir George Solti to participate in his Carnegie Hall Orchestra. Ms. Clemans has given solo recitals across the United States, France and the UK. Following a solo appearance in Washington DC, the Washington Post raved that Clemans played “with splendid assurance, presence and an electrifying level of communication.” She has recorded for Nau’s the Time, Élan, London, and Argo/Decca labels. Ms. Clemans holds a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and she earned a master's degree in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan. Affectionately known as Mrs. CC by her students, she currently lives in Westborough with her husband and two children. Diane Plouffe is a '92 graduate of The Boston Conservatory, where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance. She continued her studies at the University of New Hampshire where she received a Master's Degree in Music Education. Diane has taught in the Franklin Public Schools for the past 20 years as the middle school orchestra director and the director of the String School of Franklin. She is currently the K-12 Director of Music and conducts the Franklin High School String and Symphony Orchestras. Diane also performs as a freelance musician and is a member of the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. Todd Shafer has spent his entire 16 year-career teaching Instrumental music in the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District. After spending 13 years teaching beginning through 8th grade band under the mentorship of Ronald “Buddy” Bibeault, he took over as Director of Music in 2014 and now teaches all high school performing groups. His middle and high school bands have earned gold medals at MICCA concert festivals, and the marching band, which he has directed for 5 years, has won UsBands Division IV Open National Championships for the last two years. Caryn Wardwell is the music teacher at Lunenburg High School, where she conducts the high school Concert Band and Chorus in addition to teaching other elective courses and ensembles such as Marching Band, Piano I and II, Guitar Workshop, Music Theory, and Theatre Arts. Beyond her responsibilities at the high school level, Caryn has also directed several of the middle school instrumental and vocal ensembles providing students a wide range of performing opportunities. Caryn completed her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the winter of 2000 and then graduated from Teacher's’ College Columbia University with a Master of Arts degree in the summer of 2007.

Dining in the Area

Name Address Phone Type Hours

WaterFreshFarm 151HaydenRowe (508)435-3400 Sandwich/ 7-7

PreparedFoods

Bill’sPizza 14MainSt (508)435-0447 Pizza/ 10-10 SubsSnappyDogs 93EMainSt (617)383-7627 HotDogs 11-3 @WestonNurseryCornell’s 229HaydenRowe (508)435-6192 Pub 11-1Dynasty 77W.MainSt (508)435-8088 Chinese11:30-10Hiller’sPizza 77WMainSt (508)435-0021 Pizza/ 10-9 SubsSubway 3CedarSt (508)497-5117 Subs 7-10YogurtBeach 36MainSt (508)625-1864 Frozen 12-9 YogurtPanThai 15MainSt (508)497-9919 Thai11:30-3MarathonDeli 12CUnionSt,Ashland(508)231-1859 Subs/9:30-7:30 Wraps110Grill 1LumberSt (508)625-2141 Casual11:30-9Wendy’s 128CedarSt,Milford(508)478-5118 Burgers 9-2TGIFriday’s 240FortuneBlvd,Milford(508)634-3018Casual 11-199Restaurant 196EMainSt,Milford(508)634-1999 Casual 11-11Carbone’s 280CedarSt (508)435-3465 Italian11:30-9BisonBurger 22SouthSt (508)435-5100 Burgers11:30-9