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June 2009 CMP Workshop

Report from the outgoing chair. . .

On being asked to write a recap of the 2009 CMP Workshop for Insights, I asked myself the question, what makes a CMP workshop unique from year to year?  It would be easy to just bullet point a great week. 

• The new studio track intensive one-day workshop (which you will read about in detail later) was a success.
• We saw the largest collection of demonstration rehearsals ever presented in one week of CMP (choral, general music, private, elementary choral, band, orchestra, jazz).
• Music students from Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New York and Vienna, Austria will undoubtedly benefit from the brilliantly written CMP plans.

It would be even easier to simply share a sample of the glowing remarks participants shared in their 2009 surveys.

• “I have never felt more intelligent and valuable as a teacher or musician”
• “I love the model, I love the people, I love the process . . . I love CMP!”
• “So many great things, not sold to me, but vouched for by trusted colleagues.”
• “I am more convinced that if students connect to the music at a deeper level they will mature and appreciate art and life more richly.”

I have been bullet pointing and sharing results of the CMP workshops for years (Steven’s Point; Lawrence; Eau Claire; Cardinal Stritch) and these remarks always seem to have a familiar ring. The compilations look amazingly similar from year to year so the question remains, what makes a CMP workshop unique?

With apologies to all great writers for resorting to cliché. . . it is you, the participant that makes each year unique. There is no describing the energy and affect that occurs when people are not just talking about making music, but also making that music together. Those of you reading this know that words can only go so far in describing the feelings you had while at the workshop.  

Most evident are the feelings of purpose and potential that the teachers take with them from the CMP workshop.  It’s not just the participants, but the CMP Committee members leave feeling the same.  So instead of a 2009 report, we should have just sent each of the participants a thank you note for your unique contributions to the 2009 CMP Workshop. Consider yourself thanked and appreciated.   Have a great year.

Patty Schlafer

Report on the studio teacher component of the workshop:

Participation in the one-day intensive CMP workshop for studio instructors spiked this summer with record enrollment!  The participating private teachers from around the state gathered on June 22 (Day 1 of the workshop week), and spent that morning and afternoon with music colleagues from all disciplines. These first sessions provided an overview of the CMP teaching model, its history, and several brilliant demonstration rehearsals/lessons. After supper, the studio instructors ended their day in discussion with Cornelia Watkins and Susan McAllister, who offered ideas about "teaching with intent" in the private studio. For most of the participants, this workshop was their first experience with CMP, and discussion was lively as the main tenets of the teaching model were reinforced and solidified. Kudos to Corky and Susan for helping the group deal with a lot of information in a short time. This participant left the one-day workshop tired, but full of new enthusiasm for "what might be" in the studio lesson setting! 

Kathy Otterson

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