9 February 23

My sister Gloria Huizenga has a birthday anniversary today! She chose this tie, showing children dancing across music staves, for me to wear today, with this rationale: "I look back on 50+ years of piano students skipping into my music room … with various degrees of commitment, delight, and accomplishment. Some are still performing or teaching piano, those in other fields express gratitude for instruction - all bring joy to my heart as I see the continuation of musical inspiration." She was my first piano teacher, starting when I was five years old! My tie tack is a silver G clef, for Gloria!

6 July 22

Today's tie celebrates the birthday of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950), a major star in music education. His development of eurhythmics, which became known as the Dalcroze method, teaches you to "experience musical concepts in a playful manner and use your entire body as a musical instrument." The children dancing on the music staves on my tie certainly appear to be very happy!

11 January 21

My nephew (-in-law) Joseph Caminiti asked me to wear this music-themed tie to help celebrate his birthday today! He and his wife Kirsten live in the Philadelphia area, close to my sister Gloria Huizenga. Joseph is a university orchestra conductor, bravely facing all the incredible challenges for student interactions and "Zoom-meeting performances" during these pandemic days/weeks/months/years. Regarding my tie, he said: "This year, I choose Children on Music Staves. So many children experience trauma daily in neglected and violent regions of the world. My desire is that they may be rescued, and experience hope that would give them a song to sing."

1 March 20

The day of March has come! This is "Music in Our Schools Month," designated by the National Association for Music Education. My tie shows happy children all over music staves. It originally belonged to Allan Durand Stephens, longtime band director at Model Laboratory School in Richmond, KY.

10 July 19

The children on my tie are dancing and jumping all over music staves to honor the birthdays of Carl Orff (today, 1895-1982) and Émile Dacroze (last Saturday, 1865-1950). Orff and Dacroze were pioneers in developing wonderful strategies for music education for children, through Orff's Schulwerk and Dacroze's Eurythmics. This tie originally belonged to Model Lab School band director Allan Durand Stevens. My thanks to Dr. Nicola Van Onselen Mason (near-office comrade at EKU) for suggesting that I honor these two great figures in children's music!

4 March 19

NOW you are aware that March is "Music in Our Schools Month." The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has sponsored this event for 34 years. My tie features children running, dancing, jumping and performing against a background of music staves. It is labeled for "Save the Children" label, and it says that the design was created by 10-year-old "Joyce," who titled it The Sound of Music. This tie originally belonged to Allan Durand Stephens, longtime band director at Model Laboratory School in Richmond, Kentucky. I am happy to be aware of music in our schools!