Steve Oare, KMR editor
There is a parable that says one can’t put new wine in old wineskins. The new wine’s fermentation would burst the old skin, ruining both the wine and the wineskin. You can’t fit something new into an old container that is incapable of growing with it. This parable reminds me of the KMR. Five years ago, KMEA directed KMR editor Cathy Hunt, advertising editor Bob Lee, and IT specialist extraordinaire Troy Johnson to come up with a format for a web-based KMR that could effectively use the power of the web. They created a ‘new wineskin’ for the journal that was more advanced than any other state music educator journal.
However, the parable of the wineskins also recognizes that no person who has drunk the old wine desires the new, because he believes the old is better. So, in their wisdom, they realized that the new format could be taken as a big shock for some Kansas readers. Therefore, they deliberately maintained some of the traditional aspects of the journal. The front covers remained as well as the written content by our state board members, and the quarterly issue format. Each year, more and more teachers in Kansas and across the globe are opening the KMR and finding that the ‘new wine,’ though different from the old, is good for music education.
Cathy, Bob, Troy, and the KMEA board new that the format of the journal needed to evolve even more in order to reach the potential of all that the web had to offer, once our readers adjusted to an online KMR. While the ability to embed video and audio was definitely a big step forward, there was more to be done. Well, now the time has come! It’s time to take the next step in creating a dynamic, twenty-first century website providing news and professional development for music educators in Kansas and the greater music education community.
We recommend that you take a tour of the new, dynamic KMR. You’ll quickly see why the key word is dynamic. Rather than continuing to publish the traditional quarterly issues, a dynamic platform allows us to publish material as soon as it is ready. New articles from the KMEA advisory board and from invited authors will constantly be added to an ever-increasing library of pieces that you can search using the new system of tagging articles with key terms. With this dynamic format, we have the potential for other changes as well. Sponsors will be able to change their ads at any time, allowing them to provide timely information to readers. They will also be able to submit sponsored material to provide more information to readers. We will also be able to provide readers with an opportunity to write letters to the editor. Simply write to editor@ksmea.org to comment about an article or an event or even suggest new topics for articles.
We hope you’ll write or record for the KMR. We all have a great idea or two that other teachers would benefit from, but many teachers do not believe their ideas are worthy of sharing. This is far from the truth! We need to share our thoughts for the betterment of our profession. Please consider writing a small article (1,250-3,000 words) or simply create a video that can be embedded in a shorter article with captions. Tell your colleagues how you use a new piece of technology. Describe an effective lesson. Share a piece of information you think others in the state may not know. Remind us of ideas you feel may have been forgotten. The idea is for us to collaborate to provide the kind of professional development that music teachers often do not get in their home schools.
If you have an idea for an article but need help, please feel free to contact me by email or phone (316)978-6434. I would be happy to help you organize and write an article.
So, welcome to the “new” dynamic KMR. It may not be the same old KMR, but we think this “new wine” will grow on you. Speaking of new wine in old wineskins, what new wine are you dealing with this year? What old wineskins are you putting it in? Are you teaching a new kind of student but using the same old approach? Are you teaching new standards using the same old curriculum? Maybe it’s time to reflect on the wine you’re making and the wineskins you are using and make some adjustments; and maybe the KMR can help you along the way!
We hope your new school year is a fantastic one for you and that the KMR can become an invaluable resource for your life-long growth as a music teacher!
