Milwaukee was great!

Here's a little recap of my trip to the MKMEA (Midwest Kodály Music Educators Association) Conference in Milwaukee Oct 15 - 18.

Here are my traveling companions:

Emily Hammiel, Linda Hulsey & Jayne Frederickon

We all flew together on a nonstop Midwest flight from Omaha to Milwaukee.  Liz Arcaro did not attend MKMEA this year because she and Rodney ran the Columbus, Ohio marathon.  They both had great times.  Rodney qualified for the Boston Marathon and signed up right away.  I also learned that Tom Michalek did not attend MKMEA because he also ran a marathon, but I don't know which one.  Hey, Tom, "friend" me on FaceBook so I can find out which marathon you ran yesterday.

Jo and Ken Kirk were there, and Jo gave a great session on "Brewing the Best Through Singing Games."  (You have to understand the tie between having a conference in Milwaukee and using the word brewing in the title of your session.)  The actual theme of the conference was "Brewing Up Kodály in Milwaukee."  Anyhow . . . It was great to have a nice long chat with Jo.

 

Ken & Jo Kirk

Alaina, Dan and Dayna Wilson drove to Milwaukee.  Dayna loved dancing at the Brat and Polka Band session Thursday night, and she also joined in the games during the sessions that Alaina attended.  Alaina is President of the Plains States Kodály Organization. She was also the seamstress for our new banner.

Alaina Wilson, President of PSKOR

Dan and Dayna Wilson

Dayna Wilson, future Husker cheerleader

I also got to visit with Crystal Schlieker, who introduces me to her friends as "my old high school band director's wife."  She got the old part right.  =)  Crystal and her colleague, Cathy Janovjak, gave a great demonstration lesson on "Kodály and Recorders" with their 4th grade students from the University of Chicago Laboratory School.

 Jeannette and Crystal Schlieker

However, my favorite session was the Keynote Address by my Kodály mentor Sr Lorna Zemke.  Sr. Lorna gave a brief history of MKMEA reflecting on the influence of Zoltán and Sarolta Kodály, as well as the importance of the work by Jeno Adam.  The overarching precept of the Kodály philosophy is that "Music is for all" and the work of music educators is to teach children musical skills and knowledge based first on the folk music of their mother tongue and then proceding in a sequential manner to the music of the masters.  Sr. Lorna is one of the pioneers of the Kodály movement in the United States and she continues to inspire those of us who have been fortunate enough to have taken our Kodály training with her at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.  Sr. Lorna is the person who inspired me to take the job at Nebraska Wesleyan and direct the Kodály Certification Program there.  She is also the reason that I have worked so hard to ensure the smooth transition of the Wesleyan program to the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Sr. Lorna Zemke

Linda, Emily, Jayne and I did have time to visit the Milwaukee Public Museum on Thursday.  Here are a few of my favorite attractions:

Butterflies

Native American dancers (Don't they look real?)

 Native American hunters (life size).  This is NOT a painting.

 Native American masks

The swastika seen in this Navajo whirling log has a stunning history.  It represents the tale of a man outcast from his tribe who rolls down river in a hollowed-out log.  With the help of sacred deities he finds a place of friendship and abundance.  The Navajo swastika differs from the emblem used by Hitler in that it swirls in the opposite direction.  In response to the Hitler regime and the changed meaning of the swastika, the Navajo, Apache, Hopi and Papago people signed a whirling log proclamation in 1940.  It read:

"Because the above ornament, which has been a symbol of friendship among our forefathers for many centuries, has been desecrated recently by another nation of people, therefore it is resolved that henceforth from this date on and forever more our tribes renounce the use of the emblem commonly known today as the swastika . . . on our blankets, baskets, art objects, sand painting, and clothing."

 

T-Rex

 Can you believe this is a Ming Vase?

(Ming Dynasty 1368-1644)

It was a great conference - educational, inspirational and just plain fun.

I have a short video clip to share which sums up the reason that Kodály teachers love to teach.  Dayna may have her own version of relative solmization (I call it the movable mi system), but the tune she is singing is authentic and in tune.  With proper training even four-year olds can sing beautifully.

Dayna

There's no way to top that. . . . except . . . . maybe . . . this sign at the Milwaukee Airport, which greets you right after you go through screening.

Jeannette