Coming Back Brings Mixed Emotions
The date was August 1 each year when our staff would receive the annual "Welcome Back" letter in the mail. With mixed emotions, I would walk to the mailbox to retrieve this letter that indicated, in my mind, the end of summer. Admittedly, school wouldn't officially begin for another month, but as we know, many teachers put in countless hours (days) before the school year to get ready. I was always excited to read about the new staff joining our team and the upcoming opportunities to connect with my colleagues. At the same time, I was dreading the tsunami of "to-do" items that would soon be crashing ashore along with the ever-increasing set of requirements, forms, procedures, and timelines.
Have you felt the same swing of emotions? For years, I felt such guilt that I wasn't always fully ecstatic about the upcoming school year. I even questioned my sincerity about doing this work. As I reflected, however, I realized I WAS excited about teaching and learning. Thrilled to make connections, see my precious students, make music, and grow as a community. What I mourned was the loss of autonomy. The ability to have a bit of space to do the things I didn't always have time to do during the school year. Your students may be experiencing similar emotions.
As you enter this new school year, remember this truth - we all enjoy the gift of agency and autonomy. We all want the opportunity to make decisions to direct our own lives. How will you find agency in your teaching this year? Where will your students find agency in their learning this year? When you couple agency with mastery and purpose, you cultivate intrinsic motivation. This year, my greatest wish is for you and your learners to feel valued, fulfilled, and curious.
YOUR work matters! YOU matter! Never underestimate the impact you have on the lives of your students. Never underesitmate your value to our society and country. Thank you for ALL that you do! Have a great year!
As always, I'm here to help in any way that I can.
Chris
Fall Conference Attendance Letter to Administrators
Each year in August I send out a letter to all Wisconsin District Administrators informing them about our state fall arts conferences and asking permission for you to attend. I state in the letter,
"I am asking for your encouragement and support of your art educators in building their knowledge and professional skills by providing release time for their participation in a statewide conference within their content area. Thank you for your partnership in fostering a comprehensive education for our children and for supporting the continual building of professional capacity in our educators."
Admittedly, this is a local control decision but I want to be sure to voice my support and encouragement. If you haven't already, consider registering for one of the state conferences. Having attended many conferences across the nation, I can tell you that we are blessed to have great organizations that offer these amazing opportunities to connect and grow.
Alliance for Wisconsin Theatre Education Conference – Madison College, September 20, 2024
Wisconsin Dance Council Conference – CAL Arts Center, Reedsburg, October 12, 2024
Wisconsin Art Education Association Conference – Black River Falls MS, October 23-25, 2024
Wisconsin State Music Conference – Monona Terrace, Madison, October 23-26, 2024
Coming Soon - Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project 2024
The Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project (WACP) began in 2023 as a collaborative project between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Arts Board created to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wisconsin Arts Board. The project offers FREE music, lesson plans, and materials created by Wisconsin artists and educators to Wisconsin schools, communities, and libraries. The project continues in 2024 with MORE collaborations, connections and opportunities!
The 2024 WACP will center on the theme of “Curiosity”. As Sir Ken Robinson once said, "“If teachers can keep the flame of curiosity burning in children, then pretty much everything else will follow from that. Curiosity is the engine of achievement." This year's project will launch on this website around October 18, 2024. Below are the artists and educators contributing to this year's project. We are grateful to each of them!
To learn more and to see a list of our contributing artists and educators, head to our website: https://dpi.wi.gov/fine-arts/2024-wisconsin-arts-celebration-project
The impact articificial intelligence is having on the world, education and the arts is significant. This past summer I've been doing more research into the impact of AI and the arts. Below is a curated list of links regarding some of the newest findings regarding AI, some interesting articles concerning the impact it is having on the arts, as well as some resource and guidance.
One of the best statements/guidance that I have seen is from "A Statement Concerning Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Global Music Community by the National Music Council of the United States" It states: The 3 Cs: Consent, Credit, and Compensation.
These large language models use what it finds on the internet to solve problems and provide information. The challenge is that this content is used without permission very often. This technology is promising but fraught with potential harm.
I've been hooked on reading this blog by Ethan Mollick called "One Useful Thing". It is pretty fun as he writes really well and gets me to think. A recent blog called "Post-Apocolyptic Education" was super fascinating and the paper he references at the end is even better. As he states, "In doing so, we can take advantage of what makes AI so promising for teaching - its ability to produce customized learning experiences that meet students where they are, and which are broadly accessible in ways that past forms of educational technology never were." It really points to the possibility of AI being able to personalize and customize learning. Yet it forces us to not use AI as a crutch to avoid "doing the work" but as a "guide on the side" that can prompt us to think deeper.
I think this is one of the keys - AI should not be used as a tool to help us avoid thinking and doing the work. The process of learning requires mistakes, false starts, and a certain amount of "pain". Would I love to have someone pick me up in a car during that last mile of a 7-mile workout? YES, but I wouldn't get the benefit. Read Mr. Mollick's blog for yourself and let me know what you think.
First Annual “Congressional Record” To Highlight Importance of Arts Education, Showcase Musical Talents of Members of Congress
The Kennedy Center, Roll Call, the Library of Congress, the Recording Academy—the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards—and Americans for the Arts, in collaboration with the Congressional Musicians Caucus and Congressional Arts Caucus, are proud to announce Congressional Record 2024, a special event highlighting the unifying power of the arts and the positive impact that access to arts education has on communities across the nation while showcasing the musical talents of bipartisan Members of Congress.
The first annual Congressional Record will take place on September 17, 2024 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The event promises to be a memorable, bipartisan evening with speakers and musical performers highlighting the importance of the arts and arts education.
2025 NEA Jazz Masters Recipients to be Honored at DC Celebration in 2025
The NEA has announced the newest recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in jazz. Marshall Allen, Marilyn Crispell, Chucho Valdés, and recipient of the 2025 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy Gary Giddins will each receive an award of $25,000 and will be honored on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at a free concert in Washington, DC, held in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Learn More Here
Crayola hopes to reunite former St. Croix Elementary School student with artwork 30 years later
ROBERTS, Wis — The Crayola company is trying to track down former elementary students to reunite them with their childhood artwork — and one of those students, "Kye," who went to St. Croix Elementary School in Roberts, Wisconsin.
The colorful reunion is all part of Crayola's new Campaign for Creativity which hopes to create "a new dialogue about the importance of childhood creativity, and it's turning to area residents for help," according to the news release.
Las Vegas' Sphere venue showcases student artwork in first-of-its-kind contest
The winners were announced in the "XO Student Design Challenge," where students competed to get their artwork displayed on Las Vegas' Sphere venue. The performance venue, with a massive 366-foot high LED exterior, organized the contest to celebrate Independence Day through the eyes of local aspiring artists. Learn More Here
Two local students receive National High School Musical Theater Awards
Two high school students from Northeast Wisconsin are honored for their musical prowess on a national stage.Jennifer Duarte Castillo from Green Bay East High School and Noah Rass from Southern Door High School represented our region in New York for the Jimmy Awards; it’s the 15th year for the National High School Musical Theater Awards. Along with 100 other students from across the country, Castillo and Rass had the opportunity to learn from Broadway professionals.
A look at some Milwaukee Bucks murals around the city
There are so many reasons to love the city of Milwaukee. Whenever I describe it to others, I always come back to the people. It’s such a vibrant community with so many folks putting forth their talents in beautiful ways. From music to artistic endeavors, skill flows through the city.
One way this talent is expressed all across the city is through murals. They’re everywhere. They range in various sizes too. Additionally, the themes embody so many levels. Some humorous, some playful, while others express heartbreak and sorrow. Read More Here
With marching band spirit and classic Wisconsin scenery, UW–Madison’s new TV spot highlights a far-reaching impact on the state
Wisconsinites love the UW Marching Band. They sing and dance to the band’s iconic tunes, whether it’s at a Badger Game Day in Madison, a special halftime show at Lambeau Field in Green Bay or a summer parade in a small town in Wisconsin.
This strong bond between the band and its statewide fans is the creative inspiration behind UW–Madison’s new TV spot, “Band Together.” The 30-second ad highlights the university’s deep-rooted, far-reaching impact on the state, represented by UW Marching Band ambassadors performing “On, Wisconsin!” in a surprising range of real-world settings. Read More Here
Submissions Open for 2024-2025 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge
The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, an initiative of the NEA in partnership with the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, is now accepting submissions for the 2024-25 program, an opportunity for high school students to develop and showcase musical compositions that could be a part of a musical theater production. Students will have access to the Writing is ReWriting Resource Center, workshops, and constructive critique opportunities to cultivate their songwriting skills throughout the submission window, which ends January 31, 2025. More details and information on how to register at namt.org/challenge. Read the full announcement »
Nominate a 2026 NEA Jazz Master
The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to living individuals on the basis of nominations from the public including members of the jazz community. The NEA encourages nominations of a diverse and broad range of individuals who have been significant to the field of jazz through vocal and instrumental performance, creative leadership, mentorship, and education. Successful nominees will demonstrate significant contributions to the art form through their body of work in the field of jazz.
Deadline: Thursday, October 31, 2024
School for Art Leaders
The NAEA School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is accepting applications for its class of 2025! This program provides a transformative experience for art educators that both inspires and prepares them to become active leaders of positive change in the field of art education. The program's seven different leadership models provide a strong basis for the content of the work with individual and group exercises woven throughout the experience.
Applications are due Oct. 4.
Classroom Resource Grant Opportunity
With the generous support of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, the American Theatre Wing is investing in public schools to help drama teachers get more of the resources they need to provide quality theatre instruction in their schools. Through this grant-giving program, funding will be provided directly to under-resourced public schools for equipment, instruments, and other necessary materials to create new opportunities and enhance existing theatre programs.
Deadline to Apply- September 25th
ARTEFFECT Ambassadors
ARTEFFECT Ambassadors is an online fellowship, with a $1250 stipend + $250 materials credit, for educators working directly with middle and high school students to foster the visual arts. Learn alongside other high-level practitioners through art-focused, project-based learning about the inspiring and diverse stories of Unsung Heroes from history. During the 2024-2025 school year, Ambassadors participate in online modules and complete a capstone project to engage their classrooms and communities. Learn more and apply by 9/16/2024: bit.ly/ARTEFFECT-Ambassadors
2025 Andrew Lloyd Webber University Scholarship
Applications are open for the 2025 Andrew Lloyd Webber University Scholarship! This scholarship is for high school seniors looking to pursue any aspect of theatre studies, on or off stage. In addition to the monetary scholarship, the program includes mentorships, participation in master classes and panels for career-advancement to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the industry.
Applications are due Sept. 16.
Call for Panelists: NEA Grant Programs
Partnership Division Seeking Reviewers for Annual Programs
Serving as a grant review panelist offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the NEA's application review process. It can also provide an informative overview on current trends and priorities throughout the field. The Partnership division runs separate panels that review applications from state arts agencies, regional arts organizations, and local arts agencies. If you are interested in the possibility of panel service, please send an email to let us know! We'll have you fill out a brief online form to share your bio.
Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing.
Molly Begrian is a brilliant musician and scholar formerly teaching at UWEC and now the New England Conservatory of Music.
She recently published her book Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing. As she states on her website: "My interest in neuroscience began as an undergraduate at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where I double-majored in viola performance and neuroscience. Throughout my education, I continued to be involved in both areas of interest, doing independent studies on music and the brain while at New England Conservatory, and taking graduate-level classes in neuroscience at Rice University while completing my doctorate in viola performance.
My area of expertise is applying the science of learning and memory to practicing and performing, and I love sharing this information with fellow musicians. On this page, you will find videos, articles, podcasts, and other resources on the neuroscience of practicing. If you are interested in hosting me as a presenter, you’ll find a list of the presentations I can offer, plus a selected list of previous presentations to give you a better idea of my work in this area."
She recently sent out this message:
I also wanted to remind people that my live online practicing course is starting this coming Saturday, September 7! There are still a few spots left in the course and I’d love to have you join us if that would be of interest. The sign-up page is here and there’s also more information about the course on my website.
Check it out!
Customized Arts Learning Toolkit - Just Released!
The Customized Arts Learning (CAL) toolkit supports personalized learning in arts education and promotes culturally affirming and sustaining instructional practice in arts education. The CAL toolkit is intended to provide educators with resources to support the needs of diverse populations, thus addressing gaps that impair learning. CAL focuses on inclusivity through arts learning as a bridge to academic learning and interpersonal development. Learn more here: https://www.caltoolkit.org/
Communicating Science Through Visuals
Empowering Teachers to Advocate for Federal and State Arts Education Policy
Earlier this year, the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Association for Media Arts Education (NAMAE), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) announced a new partnership—the Arts Education Alliance—to amplify the value of arts education through joint advocacy work led by Amanda Karhuse and the Advocacy and Public Policy Team at NAfME. The Arts Education Alliance invites you to join us for this webinar to learn more about our cross-organizational collaboration and how we are working to ensure that a well-rounded education includes access to all five art forms. We will share actions arts educators can take to make your voices heard at the federal and state levels. Additionally, we will explore the collaborative work already underway by the Alliance, including advocacy to support education funding, legislation that strengthens arts access and participation, and examination of the National Core Arts Standards.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8imEggMWRKi01bKDnNsz9Q#/registration
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us
A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts—and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.
Another Great Resorce For Advocacy Materials - NASAA
NASAA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening the nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Check out the resources here: https://nasaa-arts.org/research/
Arts Education Is Essential - Unified Statement
It is imperative that all students have access to an equitable delivery of arts education that includes dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts that supports their educational, social, and emotional well-being, taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers
Read More Here: https://acda.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Arts_Education_Is_Essential-unified-statement.pdf
Arts ARE Education Resources
The Arts ARE Education. As states and schools work through multiple challenges in the years ahead, arts education must remain central to a well-rounded education and fully funded to support the wellbeing of all students and the entire school community.
Follow the link below to learn more about the many resources on this website:
New Book on Why Theatre Education Matters
Check out Why Theatre Education Matters: Understanding Its Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Benefits by Thalia R. Goldstein. This new book is the first large scale systematic qualitative analyses of acting classes for adolescents. The author introduces the eight Acting Habits of Mind―thinking strategies to solve problems and creatively complete tasks. Each Habit is tied to current scientific research findings for related psychological constructs, including creativity, self-esteem, empathy, emotion regulation and well-being.
2025 National Arts Integration and STEAM Conference
Registration is open for the 2025 National Arts Integration and STEAM Conference! This conference is the largest two-day conference dedicated to the latest strategies for arts integration and STEAM in K-12 classrooms, schools and districts. With inspiring keynotes, educational breakouts, innovative product and service demos, hands-on workshops, along with unique networking and entertainment experiences, it’s a can’t-miss event for anyone looking to elevate their professional growth.
Free Virtual Workshops
Join Save The Music Foundation for a series of free virtual workshops with our partners from MakeMusic, Soundtrap for Education, and Music Will. In these interactive and informational sessions, participants will learn how to engage students with accessible resources and lessons.
Register today and invite your colleagues - all content areas and experience levels are welcome. Hope to see you there!
- MAKEMUSIC CLOUD 101- Tuesday, September 10th - 6:30 - 7:30 PM ET
This back-to-school training session is for new users and those looking to dive deeper into MakeMusic Cloud (formerly known as SmartMusic). This workshop will provide the essential and advanced training to help educators effectively integrate MakeMusic Cloud into their classrooms.
- SOUNDTRAP- Monday, September 16th- 6:30 - 7:30 PM ET
Soundtrap is a cloud-based digital audio workstation (or DAW) that allows students and teachers to explore creative sound recording for all ages in all subjects. Try Soundtrap or dive deeper into the platform to learn ways to engage young music creators through collaboration, composition, and even podcasts!
- STM has partnered with Music Will to bring ukulele teaching and learning resources to elementary music classrooms. Music Will offers professional development and free curricular resources for educators and students, including instructional videos, play-along tracks, and a PDF guide for teachers. Together, we deliver engaging lessons for beginner ukulele instruction - CHECK IT OUT!
SAVE THE DATE: We will host a virtual workshop featuring these ukulele resources on October 16th. More details coming soon!
Early Childhood Dance and Literacy Workshop
Register today for Luna Dance & Creativity's Early Childhood Dance and Literacy workshop. Discover how dance intersects with language learning and literacy skills and stands as a language on its own. Learn how dance expands children’s relationship with literature, symbols, songs, rhythm and rhymes, and engages them as holistic learners. This interactive workshop introduces full-body dance activities that support vocabulary, phrasing and narrative development.
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Chris Gleason
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
This publication and previous issues are available from: Division of Academic Excellence> Teaching and Learning Team> Arts and Creativity. https://dpi.wi.gov/fine-arts/newsletter
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Email: christopher.gleason@dpi.wi.gov
Website: https://dpi.wi.gov/fine-arts
Location: 201 W. Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53707
Phone: 608-264-9554