From the Editor

Tom Donaldson

I am very pleased to bring you yet another great issue of the EMEA Journal. The greatness of this journal has to do with all the wonderful music educators who care enough to share their thoughts, experiences, and successes.

You noticed a new look to the cover. Some of you may have balked at the use of the Euro sign the same way I do when I see a $ used as an S. But that was not the intention. For many years the € has been a symbol of European unity. It is in that vein that I have incorporated the sign in the EMEA logo. Whether we work for DoDDS or an International School, we are all music teachers working in Europe and sharing a similar experienceÐan experience which is decidedly different than our colleagues in the U.S. (Thanks to Rebecca Brashier for the idea.)

Two exemplary music teachers who are sharing their expertise in this issue are Adrienne Davis from Iceland and Roger Freundlich from Finland. Although writing about totally different themes, the two articles give a good glimpse of successes that Americans are having in a European context

I met Adrienne at the Fall, 2001, EMEA conference in Heidelberg. She traveled from Iceland to be there. It was an experience for me to spend some time with her and learn about the Icelandic music school system. I asked her to share it with you and she graciously agreed with The Icelandic School Music Program.Meeting Roger Freundlich was the result of an internet encounter. I saw an article of his on a web site which had previously been published in Downbeat. I was so impressed with how he taught improvisation and the success he's had, I thought the article would be beneficial to EMEA readers. Since it had already been published, Roger agreed to write a similar article which would discuss more of his experiences in Finland. Don't miss Dealing With Improv Demons

A good friend o the EMEA has provided us with a series of advocacy articles. This issue contains number five of six. Dr. Lautzenheiser is a dedicated supporter of all music teachers. He has visited EMEA conferences many times and is always welcome. There is a good reason why he won the first annual Mr. Holland's Opus AwardÐtrue dedication to music education.

If you want to learn more about the use of technology in music, be sure to read Mike Klinger's article: What's New In Music Technology. Mike has provided EMEA with articles the past four years. He has a very up-to-date studio near Portland, OR where he provides workshops. Check it out.

One of the situations I absolutely loathe in public school music educationÐand I'm including DoDDSÐis being expected to be a music therapist as well as a music educator. The job of a music therapist is totally different than that of a music teacher. We must educate our administrators that a difference exists. Christine Lapka provides EMEA with an article which will help to educate your administrator. Be sure to read, You Need A Therapist.

Award-winning repair technician, Daron Anderson, is back with an article on tools needed to keep up with the minor repairs in your band room At The Bench: Band Aid Repair Tools. Read about his upcoming CD.

A frequent contributor to the EMEA Journal, James Frankel of New Jersey, enlists his brother's help in the article, Understanding Digital Audio. If you're interested in recording your performing groups, this is a 'must-read.'

To compliment Freundlich's article, I have included Jazz Piano Basic Voicings by Matt Harris. This article will be useful to all students and teachers who are working on jazz improvisation and piano accompaniments. For those of you teaching voice and/or instruments (which is all of us, really) be sure to read Ken Peterson's article, You're Not Breathing Right! Dr. Peterson has done much research on the subject and we appreciate his sharing it with us.

There is a wealth of knowledge among these pages. My thanks goes to all of you who contributed!