Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES WintER 2014 sai-natiOnal.ORg 4 booK reView H ow can one not be intrigued by a book with this title? Every musician knows that unusual tips abound for solving problems and mysteries, so one reads this book, looking for the stories about surprises and delights. Helen Spielman has presented an inspiring collection of accounts from her teaching and counseling experiences, and each reader will receive a different gi. Her conversational style is easy to read and is like sitting and having a talk with Helen. Her zest for life can be read in these stories, and teachers will be nodding in mutual empathy as the challenge of a particular student's situation is shared. Four high school students are on a field trip and sharing the usual things that students of their age do—favorite sodas, candies, and conversation. A teacher can wonder whether students really understand the lessons. But when all is said and done and they are driving home, the last request is, "Can we listen to the Mendelssohn again???" Ah, yes, the weekend masterclass was worth it. ere are also gems in here for exploring careers in the world of music: What about the chapter called "Street Musicians" or the one that simply says "On the Menu Tonight"? Readers will find that some of Helen's stories come from published articles in e Flutist Quarterly, or Pan, Journal of the British Flute Society, and others come from her Internet blog and e-mails (Sir James Galway?). Interviews with consummate professionals like Mark omas and earnest young students alike provide fresh insights and interest. A special component of Helen Spielman's book is her status as an Honorary Member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. She has designated a portion of the profits from the sale of this book to Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc., to promote music education and performance in the U.S. and around the world. So the celebration of a life in music will continue on many levels as readers immerse themselves in this interesting work. —Ruth Sieber Johnson, SAI Executive Director e key words here are "as many students as possible." Let's face it, if we were to outfit 10 students with clarinets or violins, it would cost at least a thousand dollars, and only 10 students would benefit. But if you provided a set of lesson books, sets of sheet music, or Octavos costing a few hundred dollars or so, it would benefit more students. My own chapter heard of the need to provide viola shoulder pads for Native American string players at an inner city school and bought two dozen of the "best" kind that would be suited for those children, based on the teacher's recommendation. It cost us under $250. Purchasing a classroom set of rhythm sticks or hand drums can benefit not only one classroom of general music students but the entire school. New stereo speakers would help a teacher provide valuable listening exercises for all of the classroom music students. Buying strings, rosin, reeds, cork grease, valve oil, slide lubricant, and other accessories for instruments would help band and orchestra students to excel on their school-owned instruments if they are unable to provide such things for themselves. Paying for a piano-tuning and any repairs to an instrument at an inner-city school (with the permission of the school administration) would cost less than buying a new piano. is idea can be expanded to encompass tuning the pianos at nursing homes, which would benefit music therapy specialists. e next idea is to get the most "bang for your buck." Make a few phone calls to local and online suppliers aer you have identified the need in the school and your chapter has agreed on the amount you can spend. Find out the best price for the items you want to purchase, including taxes and shipping, and see if it would pay you (i.e. – cost less) to have it shipped to yourself directly, for presentation to the school/ teacher at a later date or shipped to a merchant for pickup in your area. Don't forget to ask for "a consideration" (a polite way of asking for a discount) when speaking directly with representatives from the music dealer or supplier. Oen they would be willing to give you a discount on bulk orders (more than, say, a dozen of any one item). Sometimes the discount can offset the shipping cost, the taxes, or both. It pays to do your homework when selecting a recipient for your outreach monies. Find out the needs in your area. Use either word of mouth or, in the case of some chapters, post on social media to solicit ideas or leads. Spread the "wealth" by not choosing the same school year aer year unless there are extenuating circumstances. In dialogue with the teachers, decide what your chapter can do to help increase the music education experiences for the most students in that school within your financial constraints. Ask the teacher to develop a "wish list" and prioritize his or her needs for the students with cost per unit and number of units (for example, 35 pairs of rhythm sticks at $5.50 each). And then make your choice(s) as to what you are willing to purchase from the list for that school. Once you have decided on a project, decide how you are going to fund it – through fundraising activities or with matching grant proposals through SAI Philanthropies, Inc. Remember to fill out any Philanthropies grant applications completely and be as succinct as possible. I hope some of these ideas have inspired your chapter to take on a project for Music Education. SAI has a Director for Music Education, Mandy Maldonado, and she can provide advice and assistance as you move forward to meet the goal of National Objective #6. Delta Mu initiate Marilyn P. Daggett is a violist who retired in 2002 aer teaching string orchestras for 32 years in Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools. Formerly a member of the Washington D.C. Alumnae Chapter, she is now a member of the Phoenix Alumnae Chapter and serves as chapter treasurer and Yearbook Directory editor. She served as Director of Chapter Outreach Grants for Strings and is active in local string instrument philanthropic activities in the metropolitan Phoenix (AZ) area. She has also served as a board member for the Temple University Alumni Club of Arizona. A mother of two and grandmother of 3, she keeps busy with local SAI activities as well as church projects. In addition to this, she is currently teaching private violin students in the Phoenix area. EDUCATION continued from page 3 musiC medley A Flute in My Refrigerator: Celebrating a Life in Music

• Cover