CMP Fellowship Program

Our California Music Project (CMP) Fellowship Program places promising university music students, who are known as California Music Project Fellows or "CMP Fellows," into public schools in underserved communities to teach music. This successful collective between the California State University (CSU) system, California school districts and the California Music Project provides future music teachers with actual classroom teaching experience.

Aligned with the progressive moment to strengthen education in public schools, The California Music Project is on the cutting edge of a growing movement in education to better prepare future teachers for the rigors of classroom teaching.

Purpose:

To identify and train promising music university students who are working towards their California Teaching Credential and place them into elementary, middle and high schools located in low socio-economic, highly-impacted communities to deliver music instruction. This training gives CMP Fellows the added, essential time to develop their music teaching strategies and pedagogical skills.

Given this opportunity, CMP Fellows turn teaching/pedagogy theory into practice. By participating in this hands-on, field experience in the music classroom with guidance from a mentor music teacher, CMP Fellows acquire a deeper understanding of the challenges a new teacher faces and are better equipped to be successful with their students during their first years of teaching.  CMP Fellows develop into great teachers who can make a difference in the lives of their students.

Project:

The CMP Fellowship Program provides the following to CMP Fellows:

• Funding to teach students in an elementary, middle and/or high school(s)
• Placement in the school that best serves the students, the school and the CMP Fellow
• The partnership that is most fitting for the mentor music teacher and the CMP Fellow

The CMP Fellowship Program has two models of music instruction:

1. The CMP Fellow complements and supports the instruction provided by the mentor music teacher, offering students additional access to standards-based instruction aligned with the music teacher's curriculum. By providing instruction according to their musical specialty, the CMP Fellow can enhance the school's music program and expand the learning opportunities to students in the school.
2. With support from the CMP Site Director, the mentor music teacher, and the school's administration, the CMP Fellow becomes the designated music teacher at a school by teaching choir, band, orchestra, guitar, and/or general music. Not only does the CMP Fellow learn the best teaching strategies when working with students, they learn to oversee a music program at a school.

The CMP Site Director, the university's music education coordinator, the CMP graduate assistant and the mentor music teacher supervise the fellows and provide ongoing support.

Benefit:

An important success factor for any school is the teacher. Better and more extensive training for potential teachers is a tangible way to improve schools in California. The CMP Fellowship Program makes a long-term impact on California education by strengthening the teaching infrastructure in our public schools by developing better teachers while providing public school students with music education. The CMP Fellowship Program creates permanent, sustainable, far-reaching, significant music education to stem the decline of music programs and classes in our California public schools.

Key Personnel:

Dr. Diana Hollinger, who designed and piloted the CMP Fellowship Program in 2006, is the Site Director in San Jose and Professor of Music at SJSU. Working with her is Dr. Edward C. Harris, Director of the SJSU School of Music & Dance and CMP Graduate Assistant Matt Lane.

Mr. Russ Sperling is the Site Director in San Diego and Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Sweetwater Unified High School District. Dr. Nan McDonald is the SDSU, University Coordinator for the San Diego CMP site and is assisted by Dr. Charles Friedrichs, SDSU. Donna Conaty, Director of the School of Music and Dance at SDSU, coordinates placement of CMP Graduate Assistant and serves as liaison to identifying other SDSU and San Diego area resources. Mr. Mark Nicholson, Instrumental Music Coordinator for San Diego Unified School District assists with placement of CMP Fellows.

Mr. Steve Venz is the Site Director in Los Angeles, Executive Director of CMP, and Principal at Quincy Jones Elementary School. Mary Schliff is the CSUN, University Coordinator for the Los Angeles CMP site and assisted by Dr. Larry Stoffel, CSUN.

Mentor Music Teachers working with CMP Fellows have been teaching for 10 or more years and have been awarded and/or recognized as being outstanding music educators.

CMP Fellow Expectations:

• Each Fellow will be a currently enrolled at the university and maintaining a grade point average of 2.75 or higher during the fellowship
• Each Fellow will be assigned to a designated Title I elementary, middle and/or high school and a mentor music teacher
• Each Fellow will work a minimum of 8 hours a week, including travel to and from assigned school, for the full academic year
• Each Fellow will dress, act, and communicate in a professional, timely manner to students, parents, mentor music teachers, and additional support personnel

The Role Of A CMP Mentor Music Teacher:

Mentor             a wise and trusted counselor

Friend              a person who gives assistance, guidance and support

Guide              to accompany a person with advice or counsel

Coach             to give instruction or advice

Role Model       a person whose behavior, example, and teaching success will be emulated by others 

CMP Mentor Music Teacher Expectations:

• Providing your Fellow with sufficient time for instruction
• Planning and organizing lessons together with your CMP Fellow
• Observing your Fellow frequently
• Exhibiting exemplary teaching skill
• Exhibiting excellence in non-teaching duties
• Providing demonstration lessons
• Planning adequate time to meet and debrief with your Fellow
• Sharing your knowledge and provide constructive feedback
• Continuously providing suggestions for improvement
• Being open minded to new ways of thinking
• Being understanding and encouraging
• Being empathetic and optimistic
• Honoring confidentiality

Quote from a CMP Fellow who is teaching:

"We are reaching children from so many cultural backgrounds, but in music class they are all speaking the same language. I've taught in each of the music classrooms and served as the vocal director for the spring musical, reaching a total of more than 550 children at this high school alone. It's been a thrilling step into the real world of teaching."

Quote from Mentor Music Teacher working with a CMP Fellow:

"As a veteran teacher, I value the exchange of ideas and skills that occurs with the participating Fellows in the California Music Project. They face the new challenges of teaching with a seasoned professional by their side. I benefit from their enthusiasm and hard work as we share the teaching schedule. It is a win-win situation and the biggest winners are our music students."