Improvisation is all around us. When we hold a conversation, we are improvising. We use our contextual knowledge of the subject, the vocabulary we have developed, and our understanding of syntax in order to choose appropriate words and put them in the an order that can be understood by the listener. Each time we hold a conversation, we use our knowledge, vocabulary, and syntax in new and unique ways to create thoughts that we may have never held before.

Could you imagine what it would be like if you could only say what others have said or written down? You may become very good at expressing another's thoughts, but would be unable to represent your own. Further, you would not be able to adapt to new and unusual situations that require original thought. This is why improvisation is so important in language. It is also why improvisation is one of the national standards for music education.

But, we also need to consider the possibility that improvisation is also something we do in teaching. As teachers, our contextual understanding is our knowledge of our students and our school environment. Our syntax relates to our understanding of and ability to use elements that generate student learning. And, our vocabulary compares to our toolbox of teaching strategies. As I read through the articles included in this Convention issue of the KMR and reviewed the events scheduled for February's In-Service Workshop, I was struck by the notion that master teachers are like master improvisers. They take their knowledge of learning, their understanding of their students, the many strategies they have learned over time and then create new experiences for their students to provide vibrant music learning experiences that engender a love for our art form. By learning from these masters, we can become the Charlie Parker of music education!

The articles for this issue all provide the reader with teaching syntax and suggest practical strategies for teaching music in a variety of contexts. Karen Stafford's piece, Improvisation: The Story of Our Lives, encourages us to improvise new ways to incorporate the core standards into our lesson planning. She describes multiple small adjustments one could make in a lesson plan that will address the critical thinking and literacy expectations we currently face while remaining authentic to the music curriculum we teach. In Teaching Children with Autism in the Elementary General Music Classroom, Elizabeth Crabtree provides us with strategies and key concepts to remember as we deal with the ever-increasing number of students entering our classrooms with autism spectrum disorders. With her guidance, we can begin to create new approaches to support the students with special needs in our programs. Richard Mark Heidel gives instrumental directors Sound Advice in regard to developing blend and balance within their ensembles and reminds us to blend our understanding of music theory and interpretation with our natural musical creativity in order to take advantage of the musical syntax of each piece we play. Jeff Jordan's article discusses creativity, but from a compositional rather than improvisational standpoint. In Young Composers: Getting Your Music to the Performers in One Piece, Jordan provides us with useful advice that we can use as we encourage our students to become composers themselves. Finally, in what I hope to be the first of many articles using embedded video, Greg Allison demonstrates a warm-up activity he designed as a means of Developing Musicianship through Dictation. While the article will provide a pedagogical foundation for the process of sound to symbol teaching, we hope the video demonstration will encourage you to create aural dictation activities for your own ensembles.

Good improvisers learn their craft by listening to master musicians. We learn to become better teachers by watching, listening to, and simply being around master teachers. We are blessed in this state to be able to learn from these master teachers every February at the state KMEA In-Service Workshop (ISW) held at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita. The presenters at the ISW are master teachers who can help us all expand our teaching toolbox and recharge our purpose as music educators. The KMEA leadership has worked hard to plan a 2014 conference that will encourage and inspire you. Highlights of this year's conference include Nancy Ditmer, President of NAfME, who will speak at our opening session and present a clinic. Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser will give the keynote address and a clinic, and the President's Concert on Thursday night will be A Salute to the Military Bands of Kansas, including the 312th Army Band from Lawrence and at least one group from Fort Riley. There will also be several opportunities for teachers to hear about Common Core, Teacher Evaluation, forms of assessment, teaching special needs students, and music technology.

If you would like to learn more about any area of music education, or you are looking for musical experiences that will help you recharge for the rest of the school year, or you simply want to associate with other teachers who 'speak your language,' the ISW is the place to go. You will leave refreshed and renewed in your efforts to keep music and the arts essential in our schools and communities. I hope to see you there!