PAST WORKSHOPS OF THE 2017-2018 SEASON
September 30, 2017
Georgia Newlin - Developing Part-Singing Skills in School-Age Musicians
This workshop examines the sequential development of part-singing skills in school-age singers to help students acquire the ability to sustain a given voice part in a multi-part context. Purposefully identifying, naming and teaching these choral techniques produces more singers able to fulfill their potential as self-sufficient musicians in an ensemble setting.
Georgia A. Newlin, DMA is Associate Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Music at Adelphi University on Long Island, NY. She has taught in early childhood and public school music positions for fifteen years and at the collegiate level for thirteen.
Currently, Georgia is called upon as a conductor for choral festivals, as a clinician for choral workshops, reading sessions and intermediate grade methodology, and as a consultant for curriculum planning. She teaches musicianship, conducting, and ensemble in Kodály programs at Indiana University, University of Hawai’i, and James Madison University.
Georgia is Past President of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and is a member of The VoiceCare Network. She has been a presenter for numerous music associations and conferences at local, state, national and international levels. She has had articles published in journals such as the Choral Journal, Orff Echo, Kodály Envoy, and Southwestern Musician. She served for three years on the Music Educators Journal Advisory Committee for the National Association for Music Education.
Music Is Elementary has published her new book, One Accord: Developing Part-Singing Skills in School-Age Musicians, as well as her lesson plans for teaching music literacy through choral singing in The Crooked River Choral Project. Georgia’s arrangement of “Es ist ein Ros’ ‘entsprungen” is part of the Ruth Dwyer Choral Series from Colla Voce.
Georgia holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Pedagogy from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, a Master of Music in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from West Chester University. She considers herself most fortunate in that, through her vocation, she has spent her life making music with others.
Georgia Newlin - Developing Part-Singing Skills in School-Age Musicians
This workshop examines the sequential development of part-singing skills in school-age singers to help students acquire the ability to sustain a given voice part in a multi-part context. Purposefully identifying, naming and teaching these choral techniques produces more singers able to fulfill their potential as self-sufficient musicians in an ensemble setting.
Georgia A. Newlin, DMA is Associate Professor of Music Education and Chair of the Department of Music at Adelphi University on Long Island, NY. She has taught in early childhood and public school music positions for fifteen years and at the collegiate level for thirteen.
Currently, Georgia is called upon as a conductor for choral festivals, as a clinician for choral workshops, reading sessions and intermediate grade methodology, and as a consultant for curriculum planning. She teaches musicianship, conducting, and ensemble in Kodály programs at Indiana University, University of Hawai’i, and James Madison University.
Georgia is Past President of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and is a member of The VoiceCare Network. She has been a presenter for numerous music associations and conferences at local, state, national and international levels. She has had articles published in journals such as the Choral Journal, Orff Echo, Kodály Envoy, and Southwestern Musician. She served for three years on the Music Educators Journal Advisory Committee for the National Association for Music Education.
Music Is Elementary has published her new book, One Accord: Developing Part-Singing Skills in School-Age Musicians, as well as her lesson plans for teaching music literacy through choral singing in The Crooked River Choral Project. Georgia’s arrangement of “Es ist ein Ros’ ‘entsprungen” is part of the Ruth Dwyer Choral Series from Colla Voce.
Georgia holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Pedagogy from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, a Master of Music in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis from Holy Names University, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from West Chester University. She considers herself most fortunate in that, through her vocation, she has spent her life making music with others.
November 4, 2017 *****This workshop will be held at the Old Town School of Folk Music
Jill Trinka - Sequencing Movement Skills Using Singing Games, Play Party Games, Dances, and Listening Examples
It is critical to include great repertoire in a literacy-based music curriculum that will then serve as the foundation for unfolding children’s musical skills and nurturing in them a working understanding of musical concepts and elements. Equally important is the teacher’s attention to sequencing movement skills in a developmentally appropriate manner. This workshop provides hands-on learning of repertoire and steps involved in sequencing basic movement skills, beginning in Kindergarten.
Jill Trinka, Ph. D.
Dr. Jill Trinka is Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, where she teaches ear training and sight-singing, elementary music methods, and classroom instrument courses. She has directed Kodály Institutes at The University of Texas (Round Top), University of North Texas, DePaul University (Chicago), Portland State University (OR), and the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN), and has taught in Kodály programs at Texas Tech, Holy Names, Fresno State, and The Hartt School. A past president of the Organization of American Kodály Educators and 2003 recipient of their Outstanding Educator Award, Dr. Trinka is internationally known by children, parents, and music educators as “a dynamic, winsome, and energetic teacher and performer.” Her performances bring new life to the musical and cultural treasures of American folk music as she accompanies herself on the dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, and banjo. Jill’s publications – My Little Rooster, Bought Me a Cat, John, the Rabbit, and The Little Black Bull; Jill Trinka: The Bass Hall Children’s Concerts (Ft. Worth, TX); and recordings Had a Little Rooster, There’s a Hole in the Bucket, and Old Joe Clark – are available from GIA Music.
CAKE CHAPTER SHARE
- Movement: Get moving with folk dances and games from around the world.
- Recorders: Discover strategies to engage students of all abilities and diversify your recorder repertoire with games, movement, and folk songs.
- Spanish-Language Repertoire: Learn and explore Spanish-language music you can incorporate into your curriculum all year round. Whether you teach native Spanish speakers or are just looking for more multi-cultural materials, you will walk away with pedagogically relevant and kid-tested activities for your music classroom.
- Hip-Hop Curriculum: Get ready to explore the creative world of hip-hop. Participants will be introduced to a curriculum focused on hip-hop music, composition, and self-expression. Gather a list of ideas and lessons to help your students connect to a wider perspective of learning.
- Singing Improvisation: Develop sequenced vocal improv activities your students will love. After building a solid foundation in lower grades, improvisation can extend to upper grades through vocal exploration, ostinati, part-work, and more.

April 7, 2018
Deborah Skydell-Pasternack - Everything Old is New Again: Keeping What Works and Changing What Doesn’t
In this workshop, we’ll explore dozens of songs and singing games for grades PreK-6 that have been around for years, and needed just a little tweak to change them from “duds” to “winners” in the classroom. By making alterations to songs, we create purposeful variants suited to the way we use them today. We’ll also learn many songs that can work perfectly as they are but are helped by a modernization in teaching approach.
Note taking is not necessary during this workshop since all workshop participants will receive free week-long access to The Singing Classroom. Participants will receive scores for all the material covered during the workshop and will be able to look up each song on the site. After the workshop, participants will be able to:
· View videos that give teaching suggestions and show how the games are played
· Download and print scores, posters and song cards
· Listen to audio to get a quick idea of how vocal and instrumental arrangements sound
· Peruse the entire site to find other songs and games not covered in the workshop
Deborah Skydell-Pasternack
Deborah Skydell Pasternack is the co-founder of The Singing Classroom, an online database of songs and games for grades PreK-6. She holds an M.M. in choral music and was a choral conductor for several years before becoming a general music teacher. She has taught music in a wide variety of settings, including public, private, urban, suburban, and rural schools. Deborah is certified in the Kodály method and also has extensive training in Orff and Dalcroze. In addition, she has a B.A. in English from Haverford College, and once worked in the Mayor's Office of Chicago editing speeches and correspondence. Skills learned from both experiences come in handy when writing report cards!
Deborah Skydell-Pasternack - Everything Old is New Again: Keeping What Works and Changing What Doesn’t
In this workshop, we’ll explore dozens of songs and singing games for grades PreK-6 that have been around for years, and needed just a little tweak to change them from “duds” to “winners” in the classroom. By making alterations to songs, we create purposeful variants suited to the way we use them today. We’ll also learn many songs that can work perfectly as they are but are helped by a modernization in teaching approach.
Note taking is not necessary during this workshop since all workshop participants will receive free week-long access to The Singing Classroom. Participants will receive scores for all the material covered during the workshop and will be able to look up each song on the site. After the workshop, participants will be able to:
· View videos that give teaching suggestions and show how the games are played
· Download and print scores, posters and song cards
· Listen to audio to get a quick idea of how vocal and instrumental arrangements sound
· Peruse the entire site to find other songs and games not covered in the workshop
Deborah Skydell-Pasternack
Deborah Skydell Pasternack is the co-founder of The Singing Classroom, an online database of songs and games for grades PreK-6. She holds an M.M. in choral music and was a choral conductor for several years before becoming a general music teacher. She has taught music in a wide variety of settings, including public, private, urban, suburban, and rural schools. Deborah is certified in the Kodály method and also has extensive training in Orff and Dalcroze. In addition, she has a B.A. in English from Haverford College, and once worked in the Mayor's Office of Chicago editing speeches and correspondence. Skills learned from both experiences come in handy when writing report cards!