District 11 10th Annual Professional Staff Development Conference
November 4, 2014
Montgomery County Community College
8:15-9:00 Check-in, Vendors, Refreshments
9:00-10:15 Session #1:
Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Address:
Michele Cuomo, Dean of Arts and Humanities-MCCC
Victor Holladay, District 11 President
Alexandra Eaton, NAfME Policy Analyst/Coordinator – “Broader Minded: Advocating for the Scholastic Heartbeat”
10:30-11:30 Session #2: Breakout Sessions
Ann McFarland – Little Red Cowboy Hat – A Musical Parody (General Music)
Jacques Voois - Practical Applications for Educators from the Art & Craft of Conducting (Band/Choral/Orchestra)
Dalinda Bohr – Incorporating Formative Assessment in Orchestra Rehearsal (Band/Orchestra/Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment)
Thomas Sabatino - Choral Reading Session: New Music for Secondary Choirs and Choral Master: "The App that let's you learn your part, on your own!” (Choral/Technology)
Debbie Lynn Wolf - Reach for the Moon, and see Stars! Challenging Students with Special Needs toward Musical Excellence (General Music/Special Learners)
Tom Kelly & Tom Ohme - Emergency Repair Tips (Band)
Jason Morehouse – Improvisation in the Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsal (Band/Orchestra)
11:45-12:45 Session #3: Breakout Sessions
Ann McFarland – Classroom Community Building Through Folk Dance (General Music)
Virginia Herrmann - String Orchestra Reading Session (Orchestra)
Bruce Herrmann - Insights to teaching Tuba and Lower Brass (Band/Orchestra)
Eileen Fields - Middle School Chorus - A Survivor's Guide (Choral)
Anne Sprissler & Sharon Potter - Meeting the Needs of the Gifted Learner in the General Music Classroom (General Music, Special Learners, Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment)
Brett Mascaro - Marching Band Show Design (Band)
Jenny L Neff & Elizabeth Sokolowski - Unpacking and Using the New Core Arts Standards (Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment)
12:45-1:45 Lunch
1:55-2:55 Session #4: Breakout Sessions
Eileen Fields – General Music in Middle School – Hell on Earth? (General Music)
Howard Baxter - What the ole ball coach can Teach a Music Teacher (Band/Choral/Orchestra)
Brett Mascaro – Concert Band Reading Session (Band)
David Shockey – Working with the Male Voice (Choral)
Angela Guerriero & Jodi Jianniney – Teaching Students with Special Needs: Adaptations for Teaching Guitar, Ukulele, and Recorder (Special Learners)
Elizabeth Sokolowski - Online Advocacy Resources for Music Educators (Techonology)
2:55-3:00 Check-out/Feedback Forms/Act 48 Evaluations
Session Descriptions
Little Red Cowboy Hat – A Musical Parody Ann McFarland West Chester University
In this session, participants will experience a collaboration between a music teacher and an elementary classroom teacher, using the book "Little Red Cowboy Hat." Target Grade Level is Elementary.
Practical applications for Educators from the Art & Craft of Conducting Jacques Voois
West Chester University - Retired
The session is aimed at improving artistic and technical output from your ensemble through conducting gestures, rehearsal techniques and sensible score study. Specific topics for discussion will be identified via a brief online survey of registrants for the session to maximize the relevance of the presentation. Target Grade Level is Middle School/High School.
Incorporating Formative Assessment in Orchestra Rehearsal Dalinda Bohr
Central Dauphin East High School
This session is designed to share formative assessment strategies that can work in a rehearsal setting. Attendees will be provided with examples of many different strategies aimed to increase meaningful checks for student understanding and adapations that have been made to use for large group rehearsals where students have instruments and stands instead of desks. Target Grade Level is High School.
Choral Reading Session: New Music for Secondary Choirs and Thomas Sabatino
Choral Master: “The App that let’s you learn your part, on your own!” J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc.
This reading session will target Middle School through High School level choirs and will include the most recent choral music from multiple publishers. Additionally, learn about the latest technology available exclusively from J.W. Pepper: Choral Master.
This innovative app gives choral students a way to practice and learn choral music outside the classroom, and can provide teachers a valuable method of assessment. Target Grade Level is Middle School/High School.
Reach for the Moon, and see Stars! Challenging Students with Debbie Lynn Wolf
Special Needs toward Musical Excellence Cairn University
Students with special needs may achieve beyond expectation when given proper challenge, opportunity, and inspiration as demonstrated in video excerpts of performances and interviews included in this presentation. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
Emergency Repair Tips Tom Kelly & Tom Ohme
Zeswitz Music
You've got a performance coming up, an instrument that's not working, and you don't have time to send it in to a repair shop. What do you do? This session will provide you with some tips for what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do when you need a quick fix for an instrument. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
Improvisation in the Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsal Jason Morehouse
Central Bucks High School East
Improvisation is often avoided in the traditional ensemble rehearsal because it is associated only with jazz or because it is too intimidating in a classroom setting. This session will discuss ways to make the improvisation experience possible and meaningful for players of all levels. In addition to developing technique, ear-training and intonation, these methods usually lead to lots of fun playing an instrument! Target Grade Level is Middle School/High School.
Classroom Community Building Through Folk Dance Ann McFarland West Chester University
In the wake of the documentary "Mad, Hot, Ballroom Dancing," this session will focus on how folk dance can be a tool for community building in the classroom. Participants will learn folk dances from a variety of cultures. Target Grade Level is Elementary.
String Orchestra Reading Session Virginia Herrmann
Upper Dublin High School
Reading Session of recent releases of string orchestra literature grades 1 to 4. . Attendees are requested to bring stringed instruments to play at the session as well as a folding music stand. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
Insights to Teaching Tuba and Lower Brass Bruce Herrmann
George Washington HS/SDP
Sharing of teaching techniques for lower brass students--especially for teaching tuba students. Also extensive question and answer opportunities will be provided. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
Middle School Chorus – A Survivor’s Guide Eileen Fields
Upper Moreland Middle School
Tips and strategies for successful teaching of healthy vocal technique, music literacy, onstage professionalism, concert presentation and repertoire favorites in the middle school chorus. Target Grade Level is Middle School.
Meeting the Needs of the Gifted Learner Anne Sprissler & Sharon Potter
in the General Music Classroom Retired
Many workshops are presented on the topic of students with special needs but few of them focus on the gifted learner. This session address GIEPs, common myths of giftedness, characteristics of gifted students and the twice-exceptional learner. Strategies for differentiating instruction in the general music classroom will be presented using Stravinsky's Firebird Suite as content. Please come prepared to sing, move, and play and bring a soprano recorder and a non-pitched classroom instrument. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School.
Marching Band Show Design Bret Mascaro
Methacton High School
Participants will be encouraged to share best practices and the conceptual planning process for a successful marching band show. Visual repertoire and and composition will be an emphasis. Target Grade Level is High School.
Unpacking and Using the New Core Arts Standards Jenny L Neff & Elizabeth Sokolowski
Bala Cynwyd Middle School & The University of the Arts
This session will focus on understanding and integrating the new National Core Art Standards for Music Education. Topics will include: evolution and history of the national standards initiative, understanding the design framework used for the standards update, strategies for application, navigation of the nationalartsstandards.org website, and identifying key advocacy benefits of the new standards. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
General Music in Middle School – Hell on Earth? Eileen Fields
Upper Moreland Middle School
For many music educators, the answer is, 'Yes, middle school general music IS hell on earth!' This session seeks to give teachers strategies and lesson designs to increase the odds of a lesson that feels successful (and less hellish) to you and engaging (and less hellish) to your general music students, (although they will never admit to being the least bit interested)! Target Grade Level is Middle School.
What the ole ball coach can Teach a Music Teacher Howard Baxter
Abington School District
A lot of folks joke about Coaches as educators, but a lot can be learned from successful coaches to help a band, orchestra, or choral director with their ensembles. A great coach once said, “Focus on the process of what it takes to be successful.” Peter Loel Boonshaft has also stated, "We are all about the process and, not the final product!" Great coaches have the ability to motivate their players to complete amazing tasks. Their practices are not characterized by simply ‘playing the game’ during practices. The practices are characterized by drills and routines to develop individual performance skills. "People think there are great mysteries connected with the game, but there are not. It's just teaching fundamentals." - Paul Brown - NFL coach & owner. "Among experienced coaches, there is little difference in their technical knowledge of the game. However, there is a vast difference in their ability to motivate and teach the game." - John Wooden. Target Grade Level is Middle School/High School.
Concert Band Reading Session Bret Mascaro
Methacton High School
Participants will perform new and standard concert band music from level 2.5-4.5 to determine the quality of each composition. Attendees are requested to bring instruments to play at the session as well as a folding music stand. Target Grade Level is Middle School/High School.
Working with the Male Voice David Shockey
Cairn University
Learn how the young male voice works and how best to guide him in his development. Target Grade Level is High School.
Teaching Students with Special Needs: Adaptations for Angela Guerriero & Jodi Jianniney
Guitar, Ukelele, and Recorder Tempo! Music Therapy Services
Participants will learn adaptations and modifications for teaching music notation, as well as adaptations for teaching guitar, ukulele, and recorder for students with special needs. Participants will learn through engaging in well-designed, researched, and developmentally appropriate music experiences. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
Online Advocacy Resources for Music Educators Elizabeth Sokolowski
The University of the Arts
The purpose of this session is to alert music teachers to the myriad materials, tools and resources available to advocate and educate about the value of music in education that can be found for free on the web. Target Grade Level is Elementary/Middle School/High School.
PMEA District 11 Professional Development Conference
Registration Rates and Information
Pre-registration Fees: PMEA Members - $25.00 (includes lunch)
Non-Members - $50.00 (includes lunch)
PCMEA, Student Teachers, Tri-M Students, Retired Members (with membership card) - $10.00 with lunch; $0 with no lunch
No lunch rebates.
Pre-registration must be completed online at http://district11.pmea.net by October 20th.
Walk-in Rates: PMEA Members - $40.00
Non-Members - $60.00
PCMEA, Student Teachers, Tri-M Students, Retired Members (with membership card) - $10.00 with lunch; $0 with no lunch
Please contact Debbie Chrisman at with any questions regarding conference details (sessions, schedule, meals, etc) or registration.
The lunch provided will be a boxed lunch that includes the following: Deli Sandwich, Bag of Chips, Whole Fresh Fruit, Cookies, Soda or Bottled Water.