Arkansas Center for Music Education

REGISTRATION FOR 2006 – 2007 MUSIC CLASSES

Registration is now underway for music classes for home school students for the 2006 – 2007 school year.  Registration forms may be obtained from instructor Shirley Faulkner by calling her home 479-968-8074 or cell phone 479-264-9107 or email at shirley.faulkner@makinmusic.net   You may also contact her for more information or questions about any of the classes.  For a registration form, click here.

This year the following classes will be offered.

Elementary music - Students in grades K4 through 5 meet once a week for approximately 50 minutes.  They not only sing songs but also are introduced to basic piano skills and beginning music reading.  Throughout the course of the school year, they will also get to see, hear, learn about, and “play” several instruments from the four instrument families, as well as some unique ethnic instruments.  They will learn and sing various styles of music.  In the course of their singing, they will be taught the importance of singing the right pitches of songs making them better singers and musicians. Other lessons include learning rhythms, composing, Arkansas music history, concert etiquette as a performer and an audience member, and many others.  They will perform in at least one concert per semester.  Concerts will consist mostly of singing, but may also involve instrument playing as well.

These classes will be divided and grades grouped per enrollment numbers.

Students in grades 6 through 12 will have several options of classes.

General Music – These classes will be offered as enough are enrolled for a class.  These classes will cover the elements of music – melody, rhythm, form, harmony, and tone color.  They will also be introduced to various styles of music, music history including Arkansas music history, composition, and concert etiquette.  They will see, hear, learn about, and “play” a variety of instruments during the lessons on tone color.  Only grades 3 through 5 will perform in one concert per semester.  Their performance may be either singing or instrumental, depending on ability.

Voice Class – This class will be for students who have an interest in solo vocal performance.  Students will be given voice lessons in a group setting.  Each student will be assigned up to three songs per semester.  The initial learning of the song will be done on their own at home.  Students will sing during class for their fellow students and instructor applying the proper techniques given in class, at which time the instructor will critique the performance.  Students will also learn to critique each other in a positive manner.  Instruction in etiquette will be an important part of this class.  Each student will perform at least one of their songs at each semester’s concert.  This class is for students who have an interest in voice lessons – not just because parents want them to take it!

Worship Leading -  This class is actually for students in grades 8 through 12 who have an interest in participating in or leading worship in their church youth group or as a future church worship leader.  Students will be instructed in the many aspects of becoming and being an effective worship leader, including song selection, what it means to be a worship leader, developing and working with a worship team, the relationship of worship leader and/or team to the congregation and the pastoral staff, and other general information.  Assignments will involved carrying out the role of a worship leader and possibly leading at an organized event.  This class will be offered anew each semester.

Choir – This class will only be held if there at least 15 enrolled.  Due to voice maturation, grades would be divided.  A junior choir would be available for grades 6 through 8, and a senior choir would be available for grades 9 through 12.  Proper singing techniques will be incorporated into the music instruction.  Students in both choirs will learn to sing in two, three, and four parts, as numbers allow.  They will be instructed in the art of blending voices with other students and producing a quality group sound.  If there should be 15 students interested but they are spread across all the upper grades, a single choir may be considered.  These choirs would meet twice a week for 1½ hours each meeting or once a week for two hours.

Band – Band is open to students ages 10 and up.  Even parents are invited to learn the instrument they never got to in school.  Students will spend the first three weeks or so learning to read music, proper posture, and breathing.  No instruments will be needed until the fourth week of class.  Students will be required to provide their own instrument.  The director can assist with locating an affordable, possibly free or loaned, instrument.  Students will also be required to purchase the books assigned.  Occasional private lessons will be made available to students. The band will perform at least once each semester, with the possibility of others in the late spring per request.  Band meets twice a week for 1½ hours each meeting with required practice time outside of the class.  They will start two weeks before Labor Day.

Band will eventually be offered at different levels of ability, starting with beginning band.  The first band of A.C.M.E. was formed in the fall of 2005, so an advanced band will not be available for at least another year or two.

All classes except band and choir will meet on Wednesdays.  The exact schedule will be determined by numbers enrolled and class segregation.  Beginning band will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.  The intermediate band will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:45.  The schedule for choir will be determined only after an adequate number of students have enrolled.

 The first class for beginning band will be Tuesday, August 22.  The first class for intermediate band will be Monday, August 21.  The first day of all other classes except choir will be Wednesday, September 6.  The times and location have not been determined as of yet.

Orchestra – Plans are currently underway to form beginning and advanced orchestra.  Orchestra is open to all students ages 9 through adult.  Beginning orchestra is for students with less than one year experience on a string instrument.  Advanced orchestra is for students with one or more years experience on a string instrument.  These groups will be formed based on a minimum enrollment.  Classes will meet twice a week for 1½ hours each meeting.  (NOTE: At this time, orchestra will only involve the following instruments:  violin, viola, cello, double bass.)

Fees:

The cost of these classes per family, except private voice instruction, is as follows:

Elementary and General Music & Voice classes:

            1 student                       $10 per month

            2 students                     $15 per month

            3 or more                      $25 per month

Worship Leading, Band, Choir:

            1 students                     $20 per month

            2 students                     $25 per month

            3 or more                      $30 per month

Orchestra:

At this time, we are having to add an extra fee for orchestra above the previous listed fees.  The cost is as follows:

            Homeschool student or student of New Life Academy or Community Christian School                       $15 per month per student

All others                                                                                                                                                         $20 per month per student

Being a not-for-profit organization, A.C.M.E. also offers scholarships of varying levels to any student who would like to participate in music classes but are not in a financial position to do so.  Scholarships are available by the month, semester, or school year.  Donations toward scholarships are accepted.  Requests must be made to Shirley Faulkner upon registration or as the need arises.

ABOUT A.C.M.E.

Arkansas Center for Music Education was formed in 2006 by director Shirley Faulkner to meet the need for quality music instruction for home school students, though some private students are invited to the band, choir, and, eventually, orchestra.  Mrs. Faulkner’s plan is to make A.C.M.E. an official 501(c)3 not-for-profit, making it eligible for grant funding.  This would allow more classroom and private instructors to be hired while keeping fees at a minimum.  It would also allow the possibility of a permanent facility for classes to be held.  Mrs. Faulkner is currently in the process of selecting a board of directors as the next step toward the official status.

ABOUT SHIRLEY FAULKNER, DIRECTOR/TEACHER

Ms. Shirley, as her students call her, graduated summa cum laude in December 2003 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.  She has completed all but two required tests to acquire state licensure.  Although not required to teach privately, she plans to complete these tests in the near future.  Her husband, Brian, and she began providing some music classes for home school students in the fall of 1999.  She assumed all the teaching of these classes in the spring of 2004.  She was forced to cancel all classes for for the 2004-2005 school year after her father-in-law was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  Her husband being an only child, she volunteered to make the daily drive to Little Rock for the radiation treatments and the many doctor appointments at UAMS.

She did her student teaching at Dover Public Schools and worked with Carrie Taylor, choral director, and Gloria Hardgrave, elementary music teacher.  While at Tech, she studied private voice under Louis Welcher and some from Holly Ruth Gale.  Although her degree emphasis is voice, she took the instrumental classes and band classes to be better equipped to offer band and orchestra.  She is no stranger to band.  She played flute during her time in the public school system at St. James, Missouri.  For the past six years, she and husband, Brian, have put together and she has conducted a community band to play for the graduation ceremonies of the Russellville Adult Education Center.

Since 1997, she and Brian have co-directed Common Ground, a local group of about 15 musicians and singers from around the River Valley.  Their venues have included the Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry, the Lincoln Day Dinner, Valley Fest, and Yell Fest, as well as many other community events, fundraisers, and church services.

In the fall of 2005, Shirley assumed the position of director of The Community Festival Chorale, the official community choir of the River Valley.  This choir is composed of members of the community who love to sing.  They perform a variety of styles of music including classical, liturgical, pop, Broadway, sacred, and fun.  They perform at least twice a semester.  They also have a summer choir which performs at several events in the late summer and early fall.

Shirley holds membership to MENC (Music Educator’s National Conference) TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators), ACDA (American Choral Directors), and the Russellville chapter of the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs (Russellville Music Club).  These memberships allow her to receive up-to-date materials and information for classes.  They also allow her access to conferences and conventions where she can attend workshops and thereby continue her education from seasoned directors and teachers.

Shirley also  teaches private voice and can teach beginning piano.  She has plans to soon offer music reading classes for adults.

She and Brian live in Russellville and have three children:  Brandon, 25, graduated with a psychology degree from Arkansas Tech in May 2005 and began again in January 2006 working on a nursing degree, with plans to pursue practitioner or pharmaceutical training.  Haley, 23, is married to Brad Honeycutt, and is mother to a 3-year-old daughter, Morgan.  Haley works for Shinn’s Preschool and Nursery and is a student at Arkansas Tech.  Whitney, 22, is employed at Taco Villa.  Shirley and Brian also have two dogs: Carmen, a 6-year-old Old English Sheepdog, and Frankie, a 4-year-old dog of unknown origin.

The Faulkner's are members of Arkansas River Valley Arts Center.