IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2007-08

Music Advisory Committee

May 1, 2008

The Illinois High School Association Music Advisory Committee met at the IHSA office in Bloomington, on Wednesday, May 1, 2008. Committee members present were: IHSA Division 1 – Lise Gilly, Music Director Chicago Lincoln Park; IHSA Division 2 - Ann Espel, Music Director Park Ridge (Main South); IHSA Division 3 - Jennifer Davis, Activities Director, Downers Grove (South); IHSA Division 4 - Janet Ward, Morrison; IHSA Division 5 - Martin Kohn, Music Director, Clifton (Central); IHSA Division 6 – Pete Martin, Music Director, Morton; IHSA Division 7 – Matt Seaton, Principal Bridgeport (Red Hill). Jon Montgomery, DuQuoin – IHSA Music Software Coordinator, Kent Ingrum, Bridgeport (Red Hill) and Paul Kimpton, Hinsdale South H.S. were also in attendance. IHSA Assistant Executive Director Susie Knoblauch conducted the meeting.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS

SOLO/ENSEMBLE

1. Item VIII-A- 8- Required Scales

Recommendation: Vocal Scales: All vocal soloists will be required to sing scales from memory.

Rationale: Scales are required for instrumental soloists. This will make the two solo events equal in skills displayed and requirements presented. This would follow the IMEA contest format. Judges have requested that vocalist should sing scales like the instrumentalist (major and 1 form of the minor and three triads). This would add consistency to the S/E contest. The added scales would be sung prior to the vocal solo and must be memorized. Memorization would be adjudicated under vocal factors – performance factors.

approved

ORGANIZATIONAL

1. Item VIII-D-3-g- SIGHT READING

Recommendation: It is recommended in vocal sight reading only that ten (10) minutes shall be allowed for the group to do the following: music is distributed to the students, the director offers verbal remarks about the music, (delete) -everyone is allowed to sing through the music one time only, a chord is given to re-establish the key/tonality of the music, the choir sings (a cappella) for adjudication, music is collected.

Rationale: This recommendation is an attempt to find a balance between young singers having a reference point in which to relate when beginning the sight reading process but not watering down the process of sight reading by singing through the music once. Students shall still be allowed to sing scales in order to get the key in their mind and voice prior to sight reading. This recommendation to the process shall positively contribute to the sight reading format in choir without creating an adjudication of an unrehearsed performance. This format addresses what the goal of sight reading is trying to attain.

approved

2. Item VIII-B-2-Program

Recommendation: Orchestra - Add and no more than twenty (20) minutes of music

Rationale: Maximum time limits are listed for Band and Chorus and need to be clarified for orchestras.

approved

3. Item VIII-D-4 Sight Reading

Recommendation: Delete – Following the ensemble sight reading performance, the director will be given no more than 5 minutes to critique their own students in the sight reading room with the music available. Judges are encouraged to make comments to the students at this time as well.

Rationale: Directors are not utilizing this practice and this time could be used to keep the contest on schedule.

approved

4. Item VIII-L-i Music Organizational Contest Rules

Recommendation: For violations of the following rules and regulations, the penalty shall be the lowering of the rating by one (1) step:

Failure to adhere to the posted time schedule in a reasonable manner

Rationale: This language will give local managers the authority to report to judges that a school is not appearing at their posted time at that should be reflected in their rankings. Local managers have the authority to make reasonable adjustments to the schedule, however if a school is taking undue time to unload and prep that school will lose warm up time and if they don’t appear for their scheduled performance time the judges can reflects that in the adjudication. It is important that the contest run on time and local managers need to be able to keep school accountable for the schedule in a reasonable manner.

approved

ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

1. A recommendation was made to continue to utilize the online entry program used for solo and ensemble and organizational music contest. IHSA music tech support provider Jon Montgomery will continue to improve and offer services for the tech support to the IHSA. It will be required for next year to upgrade the server software at an approximate cost of $600.00. The entry program and results will go to an online system for the 2009-2010 season.

2. It was recommended to post online a recommended list of published literature for directors to refer to when selecting solos and ensembles. This would not be a required list, just recommended.

3. Recommendation to review and update the music host managers’ information. An updated manager’s manual posted online can cover the points of emphasis for the contest that year and highlight any new uses of the technology. This manual should also cover specific information regarding sight reading instructions, timing and use of tenth of points in adjudication to assist in consistency in all contest sites.

4. Recommended to continue to have Mike Madonia serve as the IHSA/NFHS representative.

5. Recommended to have the selection committee provide feedback to schools who submit pep band CD’s. A form will be created and used to communicate area of strength and areas of improvement on all submitted Pep Band CD’s.

6. Recommended to review using Alfred Music for sight reading purchases.

7. The committee heard a report from Paul Kimpton, Hinsdale South High School. Paul shared the results of the piloted program this year at his contest sight. This program provided schools with contest data that can be used to improve student performance. Paul reported on his session titled Making Extracurricular Music Contest – Curricular at IMEA this January. Questions discussed were variables such as school size, implementation, quality of resources and judges. In the piloted program the judges were directed to adjudicate the performance not the students’ year in school or school size. Cost was discussed – Currently Paul Kimpton covered the cost for the pilot program at his sight. Future cost would be software – this could be reflected on the IHSA music budget. In the future other sites can choose to pilot the program and use the data from contest at their local level. *Schools may increase entry in the IHSA contest – come back to IHSA contest as there is added educational value by utilizing the education assessment.
Jon’s database could accommodate this process – Only each school can see their own data through their school center IHSA ID and password. Results could be viewed on the day of contest.

8. It was recommended that sessions on the assessment program and adjudication can be made at IMEA. There was a recommendation to review the possibility that judges pay would increase as their adjudication education increases.

9. A recommendation was made that judges training could include more value for organizational contest by judges declaring a major area of emphasis such as woodwind and brass preferences then review the website on specific instrument adjudication requirements. The IHSA could work in partnership with Kent Summers at the NFHS to create the Judging Assessment website.

10. There was a recommendation to create a judges website for training to use the assessment adjudication tool. A recommendation was made to have a one time minimal fee for judge registration which could be reimbursed in their adjudication – certified judges could receive that money back as a reimbursement for adjudication.

11. It was recommended for the IHSA to move forward to create a process to certify music judges and create a database by division and instrument. Judges could enter their information on the IHSA website to create the database. Judges have requested needs for consistency in training for adjudication.

12. The committee discussed the need for schools to follow the set schedule for organizational contest. If a school is late it is the local manager’s decision to make reasonable accommodations to the time schedule. See item VIII-L-i.

13. The Advisory Committee recognized and thanked Ann Espel, Jennifer Davis and Matt Seaton for their service to the IHSA. The next advisory committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 5th 2009.