September 15: First, We Sing! With Susan Brumfield
Looking for new songs to add to your repertoire, and new ways to teach familiar favorites? Join us for a fast-paced, fun day of children’s songs, rhymes and games from around the world, selected, transcribed and annotated by Dr. Susan Brumfield. In this session, we will explore teaching activities, singing games and new ways to incorporate these songs into a Kodály-inspired, literacy-based curriculum. Kick off the school year with joyful singing and playing, and inspiring ideas you can use right away. See you in September!
Gilbert de Greeve Performance September 22
Belgian pianist and past-president of the International Kodály Society, Gilbert de Greeve, is giving a performance at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 22 at Mercer Music Hall in Bellevue. This performance is free, although it is recommended you call to RSVP ahead of time.
NWKE Member Sharing and Make & Take
Saturday, November 3, 2018 | 9:00AM-3:00PM
Northwest University, Kirkland, WA
Pre-register by 9am Friday 11/2, for this highly anticipated workshop!
Back by demand, it’s the NWKE Member Sharing Workshop! This has always been and continues to be a great way to rejuvenate your teaching with great material and time spent with other music educators. We will have many different local presenters sharing their resources and strategies for creating a successful Kodály-inspired classroom. Also, we will have our always popular “Make & Take” craft session where we will make a useful item for your classroom! This is our LOWEST PRICED workshop of the year. You won’t want to miss it!
The presenters are all preparing and eager to share their information with you this coming weekend. This year will feature sessions for: Lower Elementary Movement, Upper Elementary, Special Education, Group Composition, Dance and Inclusive Language and Practices in the Music Classroom.
Don’t forget to bring your crafting skills and creativity. We have scheduled in some “breaks” for networking with other music education professionals while making a darling pop-up puppet that you and your students will love!
Finally, we are honored to provide time for NWKE Historian (and OAKE Treasurer) Chris Stroh to walk us down memory lane as NWKE celebrates its 25th Anniversary while we all eat some celebratory cake!
This is our lowest priced workshop of the year. You won’t want to miss it!
The bridge to Somewhere: Teaching Musicianship Skills Through Choral Repertoire
with Dr. Angie Broeker
Friday, January 18, 2018 | 6:00PM-9:00PM
Saturday, January 19, 2018 | 9:00AM-3:00PM
Co-Hosted by WA-ACDA | Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
Though many of us spend time teaching sight-singing at the beginning of our choir rehearsals, choristers are not always able to see how the skills they build during this time impact the learning of their choral repertoire. In this session, the musical material in choral octavos will serve as the basis for music reading activities. We’ll extract this material from the score (“the way in”) and present it in a way that simultaneously builds reading skills and prepares repertoire for concert or worship.
Dr. Marisol Berríos-Miranda and Juliana Cantarelli Vita
Saturday, March 2, 2019 9:00-3:00
Sartori STEM Elementary School
(Relocated from Campbell Hill Elementary School, Seattle)
A part of the Mission and Vision for NWKE is:
To apply the Kodály concept to the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural musical heritage of the Pacific Northwest being mindful of Kodály’s vision that “music belongs to everyone”
We are very excited to learn from two local music educators and culture-bearers about the music of their cultures.
Dr. Marisol Berríos-Miranda is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington. She has a PhD in ethnomusicology, but her first education came from a childhood in her native Puerto Rico, where she was soaked in music. “I studied music academically, but the way I learned music – who sings well, what had a good rhythm – was sitting down and listening with my dad.” She also credits her mother, Juanita Miranda-Berrios. “She is the encyclopedia. She knows everything about Latin rhythm and dance.”
As co-curator of the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit American Sabor, Marisol developed, in collaboration with Shannon Dudley and Michelle Habell-Pallán, a classroom curriculum, educator resources, and guided listening programs. The exhibit highlights the contributions of Latinos to popular music in the United States since World War II.
“One of my purposes is to share the joy and happiness of music and dancing,” says Marisol. “This is my way to free the creative impulses in our children, so they have such intense joy in the learning and doing.” Quoting Nietzsche, she says, “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”
Juliana Cantarelli Vita is a PhD student at University of Washington and an elementary general music teacher in Seattle, WA. She earned her master’s degree in music at West Virginia University, where she worked as a lecturer upon graduation. Born and raised in Brazil, Juliana taught pre-K through Grade 6 general music for three years. She has successfully completed three levels of Orff Schulwerk teacher education (Eastman School of Music; San Francisco International School) and level one of the Kodály Levels Program (Seattle, WA). Juliana was a guest artist and lecturer at the Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy in 2015 and 2017. As a researcher and practitioner, Juliana has presented numerous papers and workshops on Northeast Brazilian, Community Music, and World Music Pedagogy at state, national, and international conferences.
Juliana also presented during the Fall 2017 NWKE Member Sharing Workshop. She was so impressive that we are thrilled to have her back for a more extended presentation time.
NWKE Annual Membership Meeting
When you register for the workshop as an NWKE member, you are also purchasing a boxed lunch for Saturday. In alignment with our bylaws, we will hold our Annual Membership Meeting during the lunch break. There will be a Financial Update, Call for Nominations for Open Board positions and time for feedback from membership for the board.
OAKE National Conference
3rd Annual Intro to Kodály Methodology
Saturday, April 28, 2018, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
Pre-registration closes soon for our April 28 Intro to Kodály workshop! Three past-presidents of NWKE, Lucinda Dalrymple, Kelly Foster Griffin, and Megan Oberfield will share songs, games, and pedagogical techniques in this introductory workshop featuring a live demo class. This workshop is a great way to learn about Kodály methodology if you are thinking about taking a levels course this summer. Pre-register now for the lowest rate!
June Elections
Each year, NWKE members get the opportunity to vote for the members that they believe would do the best job filling various important rolls on the NWKE Board of Directors. This year, we have three Board positions open: Secretary (two-year term) and two Member-at-Large (one-year term) positions. We are thrilled to have so many wonderful candidates and hope you will take the time read their descriptions and voice your opinion to help shape the 2019-2020 NWKE Board.
If you are an NWKE member, you should have received a ballot early this morning (Wednesday June 12, 2019) in your e-mail. If you did not receive a ballot, please check and make sure your membership and e-mail information is up-to-date at oake.org.
Meet the Candidates: Secretary
Elizabeth Anderson
I currently teach K-6 music in the Edmonds School District, and I have been serving on the NWKE board as the clock hours committee chair since January 2019. I’m excited to be running for secretary and for the opportunity to do more to support Kodaly-inspired teaching in the Puget Sound!
Meet the Candidates: Member-at-Large
Margaret Brinkerhoff
I teach elementary music in the Issaquah School District, and plan to complete my Level III Kodály certification this summer in Seattle. I hope to contribute my energy, organizational skills, and passion for the Kodály method to our local chapter. I am looking forward to learning, getting more involved, and helping to promote all the great work that NWKE does. Thank you for the opportunity to serve NWKE!
Shelby Leyland
I’m honored to accept this nomination for member-at-large! I currently serve as Member-at Large on the NWKE board and am energized by our work to help NWKE reach music educators across our chapter. I am proud of our chapter’s excellent educator PD opportunities, and involved teacher community. I feel like our chapter has immense potential and I look forward to being a part of its continued growth.
I teach at Lowell Elementary School in Seattle where I serve on the Building Leadership Team as well as co-lead both our Racial Equity Team and Arts Team. I serve on two district committees and actively contribute to the health and strength of my community. I’m looking forward to future years with NWKE. Thank you for your consideration!
Bryan Van Pelt
As someone who’s professional practice has been transformed through the Kodály Levels Program of Seattle, as well as numerous NWKE workshops, I am thrilled to be nominated for a Member-at-Large position. I believe I can positively influence and effectively work towards making NWKE an even better organization.
In my current teaching position, I serve on both the faculty Leadership Team as well as advising the Student Leadership Team. At the beginning of the 2019 school year I will hold a Masters in Education in Teacher Leadership from Seattle Pacific University. My experiences with Kodály combined with my professional leadership roles and education would make me an effective board member. Promoting workshops to fellow music educators, setting up and taking down workshops, and attending monthly meetings are all responsibilities I would do effectively and eagerly.
I welcome the chance to work with Northwest Kodály Educators in the near future.
Kayla Johnson
During my undergraduate and graduate studies at WSU, I served on multiple boards and held various leadership positions including being Treasurer of SNATS, Treasurer of Mu Phi Epsilon, President of Mu Phi Epsilon, and President of the WSU Concert Choir for three years. I consider myself to be a very organized person and I enjoy participating in organizations and providing support in any way that I can. I would love to be of service to NWKE and work with other committed educators.
The NWKE Board for 2018-19 was President Melissa Headrick, President-Elect Heidi McIlroy, Secretary Elizabeth Anderson (who took over mid-term when Ursula Slover Resigned), Treasurer Kevin Proudfoot, Membership Chair Shelby Leyland, and Clock Hours Chair Liz Aplin. Kassey Castro and Kaity Igari were both Members at Large on the board, but resigned before completing their term.
Music educators need tools to help them meet the needs of students with diverse learning styles and ranges of ability. This workshop will cover techniques and curriculum in adapted music education as well as current research in music therapy as a related service to meet IEP objectives. Music will be presented as a tool to achieve non-musical goals as well as an important part of arts education.Wendy Zieve has a masters degree in Expressive Therapies, a bachelors degree in Music Therapy and certificates to teach elementary education and music education. She has a private practice in which she sees private clients with disabilities, visits group homes, respite care facilities, parks, daycamps and nursing homes.
On January 14 and 15, NKE, WA-ACDA, and 35 attendees kicked off the new year with an in-depth study, “American Folksongs Arrangements for Elementary Choirs,” guided by Dr. Andrew Seifert and Darcy Morrissey. We are delighted to announce that this was the 5th Annual Elementary Workshop and we look forward to continuing the tradition!
We do have extra octavo packets! If you would like to purchase one for $20.00, please contact Darcy Morrissey.
On MLK weekend (Friday/Saturday January 15/16) we have our annual combined workshop with the American Choral Directors Association! This can’t-miss event will be in the Crawford Music Building at Seattle Pacific University. This year our theme will be “Great Music Set to Great Poetry for Children’s Choirs.” The reading packet will include children’s choral pieces that incorporate great poetry. Presenters will include incredible northwest composers Judith Herrington and John Muehleisen. We have the privilege of having a piece commissioned by Judith Herrington and premiered at this workshop.
Introduction to the Kodaly Approach for Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Teachers:
2015-2016 Board members: Alina Gibitz Stroh, President; Chris Stroh, Treasurer; David Ferguson, Secretary; Melyssa Stone, Technology Chari; Robyn Clapper, Membership Chair; Melissa Headrick, Member-at-large.
The NWKE Historian 