Nebraska Choral Directors Association

This summer has been...well....busy. As most of you know, Danielle and I finished our last summer of classes at UNL, and will be graduating this August with our Masters Degrees. What I love most about the summer is the opportunities to grow as a professional, and the past few years I have had the pleasure of finishing my 5 weeks of classes and going straight from that to the NCDA summer conference.

As a choral director in Nebraska, I feel it is imperative to be a member and active participant of the NCDA organization and all of the wonderful opportunities they provide. I thought about explaining everything NCDA does, but decided rather to focus on the summer conference that we hold every year on the wonderful Doane campus. I can't even begin to express the impact that the NCDA summer conference has had on my career and personal life. When I began teaching 6 years ago, I was naive. I was not connected with the state of music education and I was riding on the excitement of my high school experiences and college life. I quickly realized, after stepping into my first classroom, that these experiences would not sustain me forever. I survived my first year simply because I was still excited and ready to light the world on fire with music. I was newly married, and the energy from all of these first experiences pushed me on.

Then stress hit. I didn't realize that administrators weren't always going to make decisions for the benefit of your students and your program. I was taken aback when I realized that not all of my students were going to like me, and that in turn created animosity between parents and myself. The time commitments of a K-12 Vocal Music position was starting to wear on me, and it didn't help that I was driving 30 minutes to work everyday(which in retrospect is NOT that big of a deal).

I was looking for something to get me involved, somewhere to network, and an organization that was bursting with energy. I found that in NCDA! The first summer I attended NCDA, I vividly remember that I was scared, and intimidated by all of the "whos whos"of vocal music. I wanted to talk to them, but didn't know how. I would just sit and watch them, jealous of how energetic they were and impressed with how connected they were. Writing the check for my first summer conference was hard, as most teachers understand that money is not exactly flowing into the bank accounts.

But praise God that I did write that check, and will continue to write it! In my short 4-5 years of attending the summer conference, I have grown more than I could have imagined. I have met WONDERFUL colleagues that I know have the privilege of calling my friends. I have been given opportunities...opportunities to serve the organization and it's members.

So why do I share this? I share it because I fear that SOME people are missing this opportunity. Some don't feel that NCDA is for them. Some are afraid to write that check. I know there is a young teacher who is intimidated by the veterans, yet so eagerly wants to learn from them. I share this to encourage. I encourage active members to continue to promote this organization. I encourage new members to take a chance. I encourage you to strive to always make a difference. Jon (Pete) Peterson talked a bit about leaving a legacy at this past conference. I share these thoughts to encourage you to continually work towards YOUR legacy, whatever that may be.

If you have ANY questions about NCDA and involvement, please do not hesitate to contact me. Visit the website. Take the chance to introduce yourself to your NCDA district representative. If you have a question about literature or standards, email an R&S chair for the specific area. NCDA is nothing but an amazing organization that strives to serve the state of Nebraska through the promotion of fine choral arts. Get involved!

Thinking...

The last few days I decided I would pick up a new book, one that I could read for pleasure and also for growth.  As most of you know, I am not a reader. I have a very small attention span, and reading seems to be a great cure for insomnia. This, along with the fact that I am married to a habitual reader, has led me to strive to grow my reading repertoire. The past year or so I have really pushed to read books for pleasure. I read through the Hunger Games trilogy, "I Am Number Four" and "The Power of Six" for example. These books don't challenge me, but provide me some entertainment and relaxation. Now I feel like it is time for a change of pace, a book that will challenge me career-wise and personally.

I have bought numerous books in the past few years, and most have them have sat on my bookcase since. Last week I picked up a John Maxwell book titled "How Successful People Think." In the blog posts that follow, I will try to reply to my thoughts on the book, how I am implementing what I learn into my life, etc.

But before jumping in, this book quickly reminds me of how much thinking one can do to grow. I enjoy learning, and enjoy challenging myself. This book is going to encourage me to think and brainstorm with my career. A couple quotes to leave that jumped out at me from the Introduction:

"Good ideas rarely go out and find someone. If you want to find a good idea, you must search for it."

"People I seek out and choose to spend time with all challenge me with their thinking and their actions. They are constantly trying to grow and learn."

"Any idea that remains only an idea doesn't make a great impact. The real power of an idea comes when it goes from abstraction to application."