2005 National Conference

Workshop List

Saturday A.M. - Session A

World Music in Song — Elise Witt

(Song Swap) Elise will teach a few songs from her global repertoire, then turn it over to the circle to continue our musical journey around the world. 
§ Elise Witt has lived in Atlanta since 1977. Born in Switzerland, raised in North Carolina, she speaks five languages fluently and sings in at least a dozen more. She tours internationally with her band, teaches community singing workshops for adults, writes songs, and spends much of her time taking students on "A Musical Trip Around the World."

Songwriting With Kids — Monty Harper 

One of the most satisfying ways to engage kids creatively is to help them write their own songs. Monty will provide an extensive written outline covering his own techniques with elementary-aged students in classroom-sized groups. Topics for detailed exploration may include organizing a workshop, where to find inspiration, titles and outlines, group songwriting, the mechanics of writing lyrics and melody, polishing, how to work with older students or younger students. Participants are encouraged to bring their own student-written songs and techniques to share. 
§ Based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Monty Harper is an award-winning children's songwriter, performer, and recording artist with fifteen years of experience conducting songwriting workshops with elementary students.

Environment/Ecology — David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans 

(Song Swap) Come share your songs that relate to the environment on themes such as nature, water, animals, energy, pollution, conservation. We will share songs and ideas. 
§ David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans are award-winning recording artists who care deeply about the environment and have written many songs on that subject. Based in the Philadelphia area, they perform as Two of a Kind and tour nationally.

Singing Songs with Signs: Preschool Songs and Fingerplays — Barbara Wright 

(Preschool/Early Childhood) Kathy will share some of her favorites, so please come and share some of yours (not necessarily ASL but age-appropriate for two- to six-year-olds). 
§ Barbara Wright is an early childhood educator/specialist in the New York metro area.

Saturday A.M. - Session B

Teaching Teachers: Big Ideas for Music People Working with Early Childhood Teachers and Caregivers — Bonnie Lockhart, Barb Tilsen, Carole Peterson, Marie Hopper 

(Panel Discussion) How do we encourage teachers to use more music in their classrooms and to discover the multiple benefits music provides? What curricula best serve this goal in teacher education and training programs? How do we encourage our teachers/students to be critical thinkers about the value of music in child care and in schools? This panel of teacher educators will address these issues and will share some ideas, projects, exercises, and activites they've developed to address them. They will invite your questions. Open to those experienced in the field and those just interested in learning more. 
§ Bonnie Lockhart is a Northern California singer, songwriter, and educator. She has been presenting workshops for teachers and caregivers at early childhood conferences and in in-service trainings for over twenty-five years. More recently, she has been teaching a course on music in early childhood at several Northern California community colleges and universities. 
§ Barb Tilsen is a singer, songwriter, and music educator. She's performed for audiences of all ages since 1971 and has worked with young children since 1985 through her creative children's music program "Sound Beginnings." Barb has taught teacher in-service training workshops on creative music with children since 1993. 
§ Carole Peterson has been doing and teaching music for children six and younger for fifteen years in Illinois through her company Macaroni Soup! She tours nationally presenting workshops for teachers, librarians, and parents, and has released four award-winning CDs. 
§ Marie Hopper is the founder, owner, and director of Musicare, a preschool music program. She frequently facilitates teacher workshops on a wide variety of topics, both musical and nonmusical.

Amazing Activity Guides for Performers & Teachers — Erin Lee Kelly & Marci Appelbaum 

How to use that great song it in a classroom? Erin and Marci will guide, as participants each share a song, then all brainstorm workable cross-curricular ideas. We'll find writing projects, art projects, creative role playing games, or community based activities for varying ages and grade levels. Teachers find ways to tie music to their curriculum, performers learn how to develop an educational approach to their songs, and all of us get an opportunity to pool our strengths and collaborate as a community. 
§ Erin Lee Kelly and Marci Appelbaum, both Music Together teachers, also work together writing songs, performing for families, and teaching a musical theater program for grades two to five in New York City.

American Folksongs for Children by Ruth Crawford Seeger — Sally Rogers 

(Song Swap) Sharing the life work of music collected and written by CMN's 2005 Magic Penny honoree. We'll sing our favorites from this wonderful book and pick some to share during the Magic Penny tribute. 
§ Sally Rogers is curently a music teacher after a long career as a touring musician, songwriter, and recording artist. She is also the current president of CMN.

Specialty Songwriting — Susan Salidor 

In this workshop, Susan will review "best practices" for songs specifically written for school events, special occasions, holidays, and practical preschool purposes. Drawing on her own repertoire as well as the songs of other composers, in this workshop we will listen, sing along, and eventually write our own specialty songs. 
§ Susan Salidor is a national award-winning children's music composer and performer with the heart of a teacher, and the co-host of Kids Play Radio, a weekly broadcast on Chicago's WLUW 88.7 FM.

Saturday P.M. - Session C

Sing it! Say it! Stamp it! Sway it! — Peter & Ellen Allard 

Learn how music supports every aspect of your early childhood program. Return to the classroom with new ideas and an expanded repertoire of developmentally-appropriate songs, chants, fingerplays, and singing games to engage your students in the magic of music. 
§ Peter and Ellen Allard are award-winning early childhood music specialists, performers, and recording artists with degrees in music, health education, and ECE. They draw on a rich tradition of musical experiences in presenting performances and training workshops across the country.

The One Page Marketing Plan — Billy Grisack 

Learn how to create simple and effective marketing plans on a single sheet of paper that will help you get gigs, book residencies, sell CDs, promote your career, and more. Ideas offered in this workshop have been tested and proved successful in the real world. Learn new low-cost/no-cost marketing ideas and share your own marketing success stories with the group. 
§ Billy Grisack has spent over thirty years in the music business as a performer and songwriter in schools and libraries, promoting literacy with his electric pop-rock concerts. He is the founder of a marketing and Internet design firm, and has served as the president of Business Network International (Wisconsin chapter) and the Home Based Business Association of Northeast Wisconsin.

Songs of Peace and Social Justice — Lin Boyle & Candy Heitner 

(Song Swap) Share songs of peace and social justice; discuss how families, educators, and community members can make them a part of children's daily activities in schools, libraries, and at home; and how to become pro-active in promoting these ideas. Candy will share draw from her work and songs with pre-K to third grade children in libraries, and Lin will give some examples of her work with students in grades four to twelve. 
§ Lin Boyle has been a singer, songwriter, social justice activist, and educator for over thirty years. She is the founder/organizer of "Singing Out: Singing for Peace & Social Justice" concerts and sing-alongs in Chicago. § Candy Heitner teaches infant-toddler music at the World Folk Music Company in Chicago, and presents a preschool and library program, "Building a Better World through Song."

Advanced Beginning Guitar — Alvin McGovern & Bruce O'Brien 

Right-hand techniques for people who know chords and not much else. Includes a little theory and/or ear training for the same audience. § Alvin McGovern has been singing and playing for forty years. A solo folksinger and one half of the duo Chris McIntosh & Alvin McGovern, he is also the primary accompanist for Carole Peterson's Macaroni Soup. Alvin teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, at an adult education program, and at the Jones Family Music Studio in Lombard, Illinois. 
§ Bruce O'Brien, CMN member since about 1990, has been performing for over twenty years in a variety of settings for audiences of all ages. An award-winning recording artist, he sings a world of songs, old and new; promotes self-expression, creative thinking, community, and reading; and accompanies himself on banjo, guitar, and rhythm instruments.

Sunday A.M. - Session D

Music and Literacy in the Pre-K and Kindergarten Classroom — Brigid Finucane 

Combining the elements of music, movement, and literacy provide meaningful and effective ways to teach essential concepts to young children. Brigid will present successful strategies for presenting songs in the classroom and selecting and setting literature books to music. She will have you on your feet singing and moving to music from around the world. 
§ Brigid Finucane is an early childhood music specialist with a diverse background in music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. She teaches at the Merit School of Music in Chicago.

Signing for Singing — Jackson Gillman 

Using Sign Language in Performance (with care!) Many performers like to incorporate signing into their presentations. In this sign-along workshop, Jackson will share approaches to doing this artistically and responsibly. 
§ Jackson Gillman is well respected, even by the deaf, for his sign-interpreted shows. The signing adds further dimensions to whatever he is presenting.

Special Music for Special People — Becky Wellman 

Becky would like to introduce you to the world of children with special needs. From adding schedule boards to including transition songs to providing tactile stimulation during your performances, Becky will show you the "tricks" and explain the rationale for why these and other activities make music more enjoyable and functional for special kids. Be ready to move and sing as you experience these activities for yourself. Recording devices are welcome. 
§ Rebecca Wellman is board certified music therapist and a State of Illinois credentialed developmental specialist.

Beginning Guitar — Ingrid Noyes & Judy Caplan Ginsburgh 

Basic beginning guitar, for starting out accompanying in the classsroom, or to better teach others who are beginning. 
§ Ingrid Noyes, a longtime CMN member, is a multi-instrumental teacher, performer, and songwriter who lives and works in Northern California. § Judy Caplan Ginsburgh is a children's music specialist, performer, songwriter, and producer. She does touring educational shows for children, and Jewish music.

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