In Today’s News

Rick Nickerson up for Grammy Honor

In today’s Portland Press Herald written by Leslie Bridgers

A Windham High School music teacher is up for a new award from the Grammy Foundation.

Rick Nickerson, who is also the director of the school’s chamber singers, is a quarterfinalist for the Grammy’s first-ever music educator award.

The award’s 217 quarterfinalists are from 195 cities in 45 states, according to a press release from the Grammy Foundation.

Music teachers from public and private schools, from kindergarten to college, were eligible for the award, which recognizes teachers “who have made a significant contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools,” the release said.

The winner, selected from 10 finalists, will attend the Grammy Awards and receive $10,000. The other finalists will receive $1,000, as will their schools.

Semifinalists will be named in August.

Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Susan Jones

This is the 32nd in a series of blog posts telling arts teacher’s stories. The first 19 were told last year by the phase I Maine Arts Assessment Initiative teacher leaders. The series continues with the stories from the phase II teacher leaders. These posts contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

Susan M. Jones has been teaching for 19 years in MSAD/RSU 40 at Medomak Valley High School. Her present teaching responsibilities include 25 students in chorus, 17 students in theatre, and 65 students in history. Before teaching at MVHS she was in neighboring MSAD 50 for 2 years.
She started teaching music, K-12; general, vocal, instrumental for about 8 years,  and then expanded to Social Studies around 1999. Susan’s purpose was her desire to teach Music History, and learned that she could only do that with a certificate in Social Studies. So she got temporary certification and proudly showed her principal who informed her that someone else would be teaching Music History, but could she “please teach one class of World History?” The pay-off would be that she would only teach in one building all day. Fourteen years later she still hasn’t taught Music History. In 2004 she taught history full time. After four years, Susan was put back into part-Fine Arts and part-Social Studies, and then in 2011, Intro to Theatre class was added to her teaching load.

The main responsibilities of Susan’s classes are to prepare students for college (history classes); to prepare and perform choral pieces and to bring each student’s vocal ability to a higher plane (chorus); and to teach the basics of acting and improvisational theatre to her theatre students.

What do you like best about being an arts educator?

1. The first is that I often get to see my students for more than one class; I get to see the end product of the growth they have achieved. I feel sorry for classroom teachers that only have the students for a year or for only a semester because they do not get to build the relationship that arts teachers have.
2. We allow kids to have fun, to be creative in a controlled environment, but to have that fun, they have to be engaged. In Theatre class, they can be silly when we play the games, and when we are reading scripts, they have to be totally engaged so they don’t miss their lines when they come up.  The teamwork displayed in Theatre (and Music and Dance!) is something rarely discussed but is much more vital than that experienced on a playing field.  We don’t have subs on the bench just waiting to take over for someone who is injured or needs a rest!

Three keys to a successful visual and performing arts education:

1. Enthusiastic, energetic, knowledgeable teachers
2. Enthusiastic administrative support from administrators
3. Parental & community support

How have you found assessment to be helpful to you in your classroom?

I have found assessment to be helpful in my Theatre classroom by developing a rubric that students can see and use themselves. I used the rubric I created this past spring to assess a short monologue by the students. First, I filmed the students, then played back their pieces for the class to see (they had performed in front of the class, so it wasn’t anything new), and each student had to grade themselves. I also graded them, and found that most were much tougher on themselves than I was! The rubric gave us a good jumping-off point to discuss what made a good monologue and what they could do to make it even better. It was gratifying to hear the students use the vocabulary and language of theatre to explain their thoughts.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

One of the benefits of becoming involved in the arts assessment is the network of people I’ve met who are so willing to help answer questions and give suggestions and advice. I really feel that I could talk to any one of this group and they would honestly and kindly give of their time to help me…and I would do my best to do the same!

What are you most proud of in your career?

The thing I am most proud of in my career are the students who have returned to say they’ve done or tried something they never would have if it hadn’t been for what they learned in (fill in the blank:  Chorus, Theatre, History, etc.). I have had students who have become music teachers and majored in history; so far I haven’t had any students who have gone on to continue with Theatre because I haven’t taught it long enough – most are still in high school!  I do have two students this semester who are seniors, and one is majoring in Theatre and the other is minoring in it – I can’t wait to talk with them as they go through college! One student I had who took Chorus a number of years ago, well, singing wasn’t her strong suit, but she didn’t mind being in with the whole mix of people and her lack of pitch-matching wasn’t noticeable.  She returned to visit after her sophomore year in college and proclaimed that she had taken part in a community sing-a-long of the Messiah, and that she would never have had the nerve to even try it if we hadn’t sung two pieces from the Messiah when she was in high school. She was so excited, and I was excited for her!

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

Scheduling is probably the biggest thing that gets in the way of me doing my job. In a small district, it’s hard to get the number of people who want to be in your classes to actually have room to be there. Then guidance counselors and administrators who throw up their hands and say, “Sorry, I can’t do anything about it.”  I think they need some creativity in their lives!

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

I was able to get my Master’s Degree through a lot of hard work and determination! I figured if I was going to have to take courses anyway to keep my certification, I might as well have a purpose, so I applied for the program, took all the tests and was admitted. I figured I’d let my school district pay my tuition. Then before I’d even taken one class, I lost my job. Well, I paid for that one class, and through a community scholarship, I kept taking one class at a time.  When I started, my oldest child was 5, the next was 3, and the youngest was 1. For three years, I was unable to get a job, so we were living off my husband’s salary with no health insurance and three kids. And I was taking college classes which often met every day for two weeks at a time in Orono, which meant I had to drive back and forth every  day, plus have a babysitter from 7 am – 6 pm, which we couldn’t afford. I went to the local high school and asked if there were any young ladies who needed tutoring in Algebra and I was able to secure free babysitting by offering free tutoring – a win/win situation! People often think getting a master’s is something that can be done in a couple years while you are working, and it can be done…but that’s not the way I did it!

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

I would advise teachers to advocate for themselves, have the absolute best intentions for their students in mind, and be open to learning how to be the best teacher you can be. Lifelong learning is the absolute key to teaching!

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

I would use the $500,000 to pay off some bills, and put away the rest for those “rainy days” that will come – my parents are getting older, as we all are, and we may need to help them.  Oh, and travel – I would love to travel more! I want to play djembes in Africa, go to the Shakespeare Festival in Edinburgh, learn Russian dancing in Moscow…it’s endless!

Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?

Yes, I have regrets. I really don’t know that anyone shouldn’t have them. Mostly the regrets revolve around accidentally hurting people. I wouldn’t have said certain things in an off-hand manner, or I would have listened more closely before jumping in. Those may sound like “little things”, not on the level of “I wish had had more courage to take that position”, but those are the things that bother me after years and years, not the major life-moments.

Thank you Susan for sharing your story!

Waterville High School

The image is one of 90+ different invitations/announcements for this event.

Each student artist/designer/filmmaker creates a personalized announcement that features her or his work. Students print and cut at least four copies on a sheet that is pre-printed on the back with the event information. One goes to the art teacher for the archives and one must be hand delivered to an adult that works in the school (custodian, administrator, support staff, food service or faculty). The value of promotion and advocacy is discussed and practiced (even hand shaking!) Someday students may be promoting a service, product, idea or self, and this simple word document (for introductory level students) is a great place to start.

Thank you to Kay Allison, art teacher at Lewiston Middle School, for the idea passed on to Suzanne Goulet, Waterville Senior High School art teacher.

Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Bonnie Atkinson

This is the 30th in a series of blog posts telling arts teacher’s stories. The first 19 were told last year by the phase I Maine Arts Assessment Initiative teacher leaders. The series continues with the stories from the phase II teacher leaders. These posts contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

Bonnie Atkinson has been teaching Grades 3-12 Instrumental Music in the Machias School System for 6 years.  She began teaching K-12 Music in 1998 at Lubec Consolidated School, then moved to the Machias School System in 2000 as the K-12 Choral Music Director and Elementary General Music Specialist. She had a brief stint as an adjunct teacher at the University of Maine Machias for piano and woodwind students, then left teaching from 2003 – 2007 to start a family. Currently in Machias, she works with 300 students a week in a variety of general music classes, lessons and group rehearsals.

What do you like best about being an music educator?

I enjoyed all of the training that I received at the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY and the University of Maine in Orono. The process of learning all of the instrumental and vocal pedagogy and participating in such high-quality performing ensembles enriched my life through my late teens and early twenties.

I love being a music teacher for the deep connections that my students make with other students and with me. I love the ownership that my students have of their ensembles and the enrichment that the music program brings to the little coastal town we live in.

What do you believe are three keys to ANY successful visual and performing arts education?

1. Documenting success (on bulletin boards, in newspapers, any where you can!)
2. A teacher that loves with their job.
3. An atmosphere of safety, excitement, exploration and creativity.

How have you found assessment to be helpful to you in your classroom?

Assessment gets my finger on the pulse of what each and every student can do and where they need to go next. In my Instrumental Music program, having students responsible for their own weekly assignment recordings on Noteshare has turned the tables on who is doing the data collection portion of assessment and has them practicing and improving far greater than any other technique I have found.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

The commitment to the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative has been a wonderful experience.  Because of the workshop I was to present, I found that I could not give up because something was different or hard to do in my classroom or because I was busy with lots of other things. I stretched my wings on using recording technology in my classroom that I learned about during the Summer Session of MAAI. My students and I are reaping the benefits of it.

Professionally, I received 3 credits from Endicott College for my participation in MAAI and writing a reflection paper on that experience.

Personally, the camaraderie and collaborative spirit among the Teacher Leaders is refreshing, enlightening and a group of like-minded colleagues willing to support others.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I am very proud that I followed my heart to teach in Washington County. I have lived in the Machias area for 19 years and I, like most teachers reading this have had many students connect to school through music that really, really needed it. They have come to master their instrument and it makes them shine. My prideful moments come in small bits: a student that finally is able to find that perfect balance of playing in a quartet with confidence, a student opening that “school” trumpet that looks a little beat up to me but looks like gold to them, a rehearsal near to concert time when I can just go sit in the bleachers and listen to my Grades 5/6 Band play through a song without me. So far, I am most proud that I feel like every year “is the best one yet!”

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

I love challenge and I especially love change. I think this helps me to “keep my eye on the prize.” Time, finances, scheduling – all of that are obstacles that all teachers are facing, but I honestly cannot name one thing that is getting in my way right now of being a better teacher. I am still hungry to learn and attend workshops, read professional journals, take courses, check out Music Teacher blogs and advice forums and continue to grow. I have 2 incredibly supportive Principals in the Elementary and High Schools I teach in, as well as amazingly helpful and supportive colleagues in both schools.

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

The growth of my performing groups takes a lot of individual contacts with kids and parents, especially those beginning instrumentalists. This takes a large amount of extra energy for phone calling and emailing, but is well worth it. I think that most parents feel comfortable bringing concerns (and praise!) my way because the pathway has already been established.  Making a habit of touching base with 1 or 2 a day (which takes just minutes) over the years I have been teaching has made a huge impact on my program.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

Keep a nice  journal on your desk or in your school bag. Write a few  things in it each day that you are grateful for that happened or something funny that a student said. You will notice the little nice things each day more than you ever had before. When a fourth grade trombone student said to me that he enjoyed the Solo & Ensemble night because his mom let him eat 2 pumpkin frosted whoopie cushions at intermission, I nearly came undone. I could not wait to run to my leather-bound journal during lunch to write it down!

If you were given $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

My first thought would be to go out and buy a Lamborghini because I have always wanted one since I was 3 years old. However, because this is an Arts Education blog, my obvious second choice would be to do my very best to begin to provide a second music room for our school.  Both I and the Choral Director share one Music Room, she on a cart for Elementary General Music while I have Band rehearsals and large-group lessons and I searching for an empty room for small instrument lessons while she has Chorus rehearsals. I have this perfect vision of a general music classroom full of Orff instruments and a wall-mounted LCD projector and surround-sound speakers and space to move, move, move!  The impact this would have on our already strong music program would be astounding!

Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?

Making music with kids?  Billions of smiles and zillions of breaths being taken by past students and poured into their instruments for one wonderful common cause: making a joyful noise!  Not a single regret.

 Thank you Bonnie for telling your story!

 

Lucy & the Diamonds

Performing at Maine Maritime Academy graduation

“Lucy & the Diamonds” from George Stevens Academy will perform at the Maine Maritime Academy Graduation on Saturday, May 4 at 10:15am.

Under the direction of Steve Orlofsky the combo will have a different look since it we will be missing Oliver Scott, bass & Nicholas Steenberg, guitar who will be taking mandatory SAT’s.

“Lucy & the Diamonds” welcome Matthew Stephens, bass, Lorna Stephens & Kenzie Tefft on vocals in addition to Peter Howell, trombone, David Reinke, piano, Gavin Rogers, drums & the one & only Lucy Jakub on vibes!

Camden Hills Travel to VA

Camden Hills Receives High Marks at Music Festivals

On April 3^rd, 140 Camden Hills Regional High School Band and Chorus students and 14 chaperones boarded three Cyr coaches to travel to Virginia Beach to take part in the Fiesta-val Music Competition.  Despite the 17 hour bus ride, the students were excited to have the chance to sing and play at a National music festival.  A last minute change in plans by the Fiesta-val company to change the festival location from Virginia Beach to Williamsburg, actually became a boon for the ensembles; as they were able to also take part in a concurrent music festival in Williamsburg, hosted by Heritage festivals.

Friday, April 5^th began with a 6:30 AM departure for one bus load of students.  The CHRHS Chamber Singers and Women’s Choir, plus a few loyal supporters, climbed on board for the lengthy ride to Williamsburg to sing before a panel of three judges at the historic Kimball Theater.  While there, the students had a chance to hear choirs from other schools, with fine performances by Lakeland High School from northern New Jersey.  The choral ensembles finished their performing and quickly boarded the bus, with some students changing outfits into Band uniforms, in order to meet the other two buses of students at WarHill High School for the Fiesta-val portion of the day.

The CHRHS Jazz Band performed first, and students quickly grabbed gear and instruments from beneath the bus in their efforts to set up the Jazz Band in time for their warm up and competition performance.  The schedule continued with the CHRHS Concert Band performance, followed by the three CHRHS chorus ensembles: Chorale, Women’s Choir, and Chamber Singers.  Lunch was a dizzying dance of schedules in between the performances, with some students changing outfits from Band uniform to Choral formal wear.

Finally the last leg of the full performance day was near: three buses were scheduled to travel to Heritage High School in Newport News, VA for the Concert and Jazz Band Heritage Festival performances.  Unfortunately, it was at that time that a major snag hit the stream-lined plans.  One bus broke down, refusing to move from the War Hill HS parking lot.  Suddenly, students, instruments, and chaperones were juggled to allow all instrumental students and gear to load on to two buses to quickly travel to the next performance destination.

While the busload of students left behind relaxed in the parking lot, another unforeseen calamity occurred. A major traffic emergency stalled the two functioning buses for over an hour on the freeway- delaying the performance times of the two CHRHS instrumental ensembles. Finally, with determination and goodwill by all; the stranded students were picked up and the 140 students, instruments, and chaperones squeezed onto two buses to make the last leg of the journey back to the hotel in Virginia Beach.

On Saturday, the students had a chance to relax and ride at Busch Gardens and the day culminated in two Award ceremonies. At the Fiesta-val Award Ceremony, schools were graded on a national scale of standards with awards of  Superior, Excellent, Good and Fair.  We are happy to say that Camden Hills students swept the awards:  The CHRHS Chamber Singers, Women’s Choir and Chorale received Superior awards and the CHRHS Concert Band and Jazz Band received Excellent Awards with the Concert Band being only a tenth of a point away from a Superior Award.  Special recognition was given to the Jazz Band as they received the “Outstanding Brass Section Award.”  Judges’ Commendation Awards were given to four individuals: Rebekah Johnson, soprano; Aidan Kaczynski, tenor; Alex Crans, tuba and Camilla Walker, French horn.  The Chorale received a Champion award in their category, and the Concert and Jazz Bands swept the competition with 1^st place awards, the Grand Champion Award, and a Highly Distinguished Conductor Award to Nancy Rowe.

Later in the evening, the Heritage Festival Awards were announced. Again, CHRHS proved that they could perform well, even under the pressure of a long and arduous day. The CHRHS Women’s Choir and Chamber Singers both received Gold Awards with Women’s Choir placing 2^nd and Chamber Singers placing 1^st. Aidan Kaczynski was again recognized for his solo with a Maestro Award. Both chorale ensembles received invitations to next year’s Heritage Festivals of Gold and Carnegie Hall. The CHRHS Concert and Jazz Bands received Silver Awards, with the Jazz Band receiving special recognition; and Orion Krause received the Maestro Award for his solo in “Mr. G. K.”

The musical travelers arrived safely home on Sunday, April 7^th, with many thanks to the chaperones and the bus drivers. Ms. Rowe and Mrs. Murphy would like to thank the Five Town Community for their support of the Band and Chorus students.

Another Arts Teacher’s Story: Jane Kirton

This is the 28th in a series of blog posts telling arts teacher’s stories. The first 19 were told last year by the phase I Maine Arts Assessment Initiative teacher leaders. The series continues with the stories from the phase II teacher leaders. These posts contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

Jane Kirton teaches chorus, keyboarding, and introduction to music at Sanford High School where she has been for 12 years. She is the music director for musicals, helps with Sophomore Awareness, and graduation activities.  Outside of school Jane is the music director at the North Parish Congregational Church and a facilitator for The Center For Grieving Children at the Southern site.

What do you like best about being a music educator?

The best part of my job is being able to touch the souls’ of all my students! Most of the time, the students take my classes have chosen to take them, therefore, they want to be in the class. This makes for an atmosphere of warmth and comfort which is conducive to learning. We, as arts educators, are able to reach some students whom others can’t, this is our most valuable strength.  I tell my students that we’re going to learn a lot about life as well as music in our class!

What do you believe are three keys to ANY successful visual and performing arts education?

1.  Compassion – we must have and show compassion to all our students.
2. Versatility – being able to teach something a number of ways to reach all types of learners.
3. Connection/be present – we must make a connection with each student we teach, show them that we care and that they are valued. Adding a bit of humor and telling them my story are two of my strengths.

How have you found assessment to be helpful to you in your classroom?

There have been times when I have struggled with assessment especially written assessments. I want to be sure that my assessments are applicable to what I teach especially in chorus class. Being a performance based class, writing shouldn’t be the primary assessment. I have worked hard to create a variety of ways to assess – vocally and writing that is pertinent to what we do.  I am always searching for new ideas and ways to assess.

 What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

The benefits of becoming involved in the MAAI have been wonderful. From the network of new colleagues to the endless possibilities of creativity – wow! I have found that this initiative has put me in the zone so to speak. I have totally reworked the way I teach my keyboarding class and as a result, word is spreading and more students want to take the class than what I can accommodate! I look forward to continue to enhance my other classes. I am anxious to see what year three holds for us.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I am proud that I went back to school at the age of 40 to get my degree in music education! I am proud when I see students graduate from high school and college with a music degree. I am blessed with wonderful students – not just the ones that go to college. I believe in not only teaching music but I teach about life! Making connections with my students while at SHS is very important to me.  Many of my former students stay in touch and visit our class often. I know I have made a difference in my students’ lives when they continue to come back and visit.

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

Time is always a factor! I could spend hours and hours doing what I do. I believe right now my biggest stumbling block is our school schedule. My numbers are sadly dwindling as students cannot fit music classes into their schedule. I also dream of a performing chorus in the elementary schools which we don’t have. I believe that a love for singing must start early on. Kids need to feel singing in their bones and love it in order to continue on at the upper levels. Our children have so many options in their lives today, it’s hard for them to choose and do it all.

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

Despite low numbers, the sound of my chorus continues to be very good. I know this comes directly from the result of teaching. Time spent on music literacy is invaluable! The connections that I make with my students is very important to me. I work hard to create an atmosphere of camaraderie and acceptance in my classes which makes for a peaceful working environment. Through this we are able to make beautiful (bel canto) singing!  Helping a student in need is very important to me.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

As one of my college professors told me . . . “Be the one to make a difference in the student’s life who struggles to thrive in other classes and with other teachers.” I have a quote on my bulletin board in my office that I made up several years ago . . . “Remember, you don’t necessarily know what the person next to you went through last night or before school today . . .”  I believe, as an educator, yes you need to know your content and know it well but it is also extremely important that we care for our students!

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

I would first pay off my children’s college debt for them. Pay off our mortgage. Put money away for my grandchildren’s college education. Buy some recording equipment for my class at school and at church.

Imagine you are 94 years old. You’re looking back. Do you have any regrets?

No regrets! I made that decision when I turned 40 and went back to school!!! Oh don’t get me wrong, there are some things I WISH I could do such as return to school and perhaps become a counselor but frankly, I’m happy doing what I am doing! I love touching the lives of my students!  Remember, lasting friends are made through music!

Thank you for telling your story Jane!

North Pond Hermit Music Connection

Music and art document history

Maine musician Stanley Keach has taken the opportunity to document a bit of history that unfolded this past week in Rome, Maine by writing a song about the North Pond Hermit. Along with the text you can see the video (at the bottom) that was created of Stanley and Barefoot Dan Simons singing the song.

I remember while growing up my sister and I would march around the house singing Battle of New Orleans of 1814. I was curious about that song so I searched and sure enough there was a YouTube with the song. It was written by Jimmy Driftwood and sung by Johnny Horton. The video is filled with images, many of them paintings, depicting the battle. How do you, music and art teachers, incorporate the teaching of history into your lessons that mark an event and/or a time period?

WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS
Twenty-seven years ago, he went into the woods.
He didn’t really have a plan.  Guess he did it ‘cause he could.
He was only 19.  Didn’t know he’d stay that long.
He came to think of the woods of Maine as the place that he belonged.

YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO SLEEP OUTSIDE WHEN IT’S 25 BELOW –
AND YOU FEEL IT FROM YOUR FOREHEAD RIGHT DOWN TO YOUR ACHING TOES.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.
NO, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.

Nobody ever saw him ‘cause he only moved at night.
He knew how to hide his tracks and stay down out of sight.
His campsite hidden well beneath a canopy of trees.
They say that he committed a thousand burglaries.

YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ALONE AS A DECADE COMES AND GOES –
WHEN THE ICE STORM RAGES, AND THE FROZEN NORTH WIND BLOWS –
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.
NO, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.

He’d slip into an empty camp through a window or a door.
He just took what he needed to survive and nothing more.
He never built a fire.  He was afraid it would be seen.
How he kept alive in winter is a mystery to me.

YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.
WE DRIVE AROUND AND GO TO JOBS AND STAY HOME WHEN IT SNOWS.
WE’RE LOSING TOUCH WITH NATURE, AND WE DON’T KNOW HOW IT FLOWS.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.
NO, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NORTH POND HERMIT KNOWS.

Words & Music © 2013 by Stan Keach

A little more info from Stan on “The Battle of New Orleans” — Jimmy Driftwood got the tune for the song from an old fiddle tune, “The Eighth of January,” a commemorative tune written to celebrate Andrew Jackson’s victory in New Orleans, which occurred on January 8th.  Here’s a link to a version of that fiddle tune: Eighth of January – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxva-itzRQY.

When Jackson was running for President in 1828, his campaign train would stop at depots, and, before or after Jackson gave a speech, a fiddler would play “The Eighth of January,” and “Rachel,” a tune written in honor of Jackson’s wife.  Here’s a link to “Rachel”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wks6mA50560

Celebration of Arts Ed: Camden-Rockport

Blaine House event – April 9

On Tuesday, April 9, we had a Celebration of Arts Education to recognize the accomplishments of artists and musicians from Camden-Rockport Elementary and Middle Schools and Camden Hills Regional High School. The First Lady, Ann LePage, Chair of the State Board of Education, Dr. Steven Pound, and the Department of Education came together to celebrate Arts Education. Twenty four students representing grades Kindergarten through 12 are exhibiting art work at the Department. Proud family members watched as the students were recognized for their accomplishments.

Grade 6 student, Mary with Steven Pound and First Lady LePage

Music students in the 8-member, student lead a cappella group The Off-Beats(!) performed the Stars Spangled Banner and Sweet Caroline at the reception held at the Blaine House. After recognition and refreshments families were invited to the Department of Education to view the art exhibit. The Off-Beats(!) stopped at the State House to see Senator Mazurek and sang in other spots in the State House and the Cross Office building. It was a special treat to have them sing in the lobby at the Department with about 20 Department employees watching and listening. The Off-Beats(!) make people smile and a reminder of why it is essential to provide quality arts education for all students!

The Off-Beats(!) student director Alex with Steven Pound and First Lady Ann LePage

You can see the artwork that is on display at the Department by clicking here or viewing the work from the front page of the blog, right side in the section titled “Info”. Look for “Camden-Rockport Schools: MDOE exhibit”. Even after the artwork leaves the Department it will remain on the blog and the songs will remain in my heart and memory! Thank you to the students who have shared their art!

Congratulations and thank you to the visual and performing arts teachers who have taken the time to provide this opportunity for their students. Kimberly Murphy, Camden Hills Regional High School music teacher, Carolyn Brown, Suzanne Southworth, and Russell Kahn, Camden Hills Regional High School art teachers, Kristen Andersen, Camden-Rockport Middle School art teacher, and Susan Dowling, Camden-Rockport Elementary School art teacher.

Camden-Rockport Elementary School student Alexandra, grade 3 with Steven Pound and the First Lady

Dr. Steven M. Pound, State Board Chair, Carolyn Brown and Suzanne Southworth, Camden Hills Regional High School, First Lady Ann LePage, Kimberly Murphy, Camden Hills Regional High School music teacher, Argy Nestor

The Off-Beats (!) perform Sweet Caroline at the Blaine House

The Off-Beats(!) perform at the Maine Department of Education

Grade 8 student Erin with her painting “Degas copy”

All smiles after an excellent performance – The Off-Beats(!) plus one

Thank you to Carolyn Brown and Janet Gallagher for the photographs included in this blog post!

In Today’s News

Congratulations Marisa!

In today’s Morning Sentinel Marisa Weinstein is highlighted for the surprise award she was presented at the Warsaw Middle School where she teaches music, Music Educator of the Year! YAHOOOO! You can read about Marisa and view the marvelous photos that were taken at the school assembly by clicking here.