Archive for

Day: July 30, 2016

AMEA: Continuing to move forward while embracing our history and traditions

Jul 30 2016

Susan Smithpresident@myamea.org
Susan Smith
president@myamea.org
I am honored to write my first article for the Ala Breve as the President of AMEA. It is an honor and privilege to serve and support those who have chosen teaching music as their life’s work. I would like to share some of the goals for the next two years of our organization and hope you will join me in our forward movement while embracing our history and traditions.

1. Build Bridges
As music teachers we are often the only arts teacher in our building or department, so it is vital to the longevity of our careers and discipline that we reach to other divisions for additional support and shared resources. While President, I hope to reinforce these connections between divisions and teachers as well as our community at large. Our discipline is supported by music vendors for the resources we need to teach students in our classrooms. We rely on our music industry colleagues to make our conferences and student events possible. Our relationships with those partners is very important to the success AMEA. We will look to embrace, expand and reinforce those partnerships over the coming years.

2. Encourage and Support Teachers
In a world where arts educators and teachers in general seem to be lacking support and resources for continuing development, it is my hope we will work to encourage and support new and veteran teachers. I will work to reach and serve the under- represented populations of AMEA and support the involvement of all. Leadership potential identification and mentoring are an important part of what our organization can bring to our community at large. We all want AMEA to be vital and robust in its mission. I believe we will succeed with involvement from a variety of people from every size and type of school.

3. Plan for the Future
We will continue to review and revise our documents, bylaws, and procedures for maximum efficiency and transparency as we build upon the strong foundation of our organization. We will update our strategic plan every two years revisiting our path as an organization. We have moved forward with the plans to hire an Assistant Executive Director. We welcome Mildred Lanier in this position after an exhaustive search and know she will bring much to the organization. I really don’t think any of us can fully appreciate what Garry Taylor does for AMEA and I am pleased we will be able to give him the support needed to make the conference run smoothly. I have also called on each division to continue to look past “what we have always done” to “what we would like our organizations to look like and be able to do?”

4. Recognize and Encourage Success
Our state has wonderful music teachers who make an impact on our communities, schools, and students. I believe it is the responsibility of AMEA to promote and recognize those in our organization for their longevity and those who are making an impact on our discipline on a regional and national level. We will refine our awards for membership to better highlight those who have served as well as add awards for programs and teachers who strive to the highest levels of performance and education.

In June, the AMEA leadership team traveled to Washington DC for the NAfME Hill Day and National Assembly June 22 – 25, 2016. Greg Gumina, Sara Womack, Savannah Smith, Latrice Green, and I met with representatives from Senator Shelby’s and Senator Sessions’ offices as well as those from Congresswoman Roby, Congresswoman Sewell and Congressman Gary Powell. It is very moving to have the chance to come together with other state MEA organizations to meet with our elected officials and tell them about the great things music teachers do for the students of Alabama.

One of the main items discussed with the legislators was the funding of the Every Child Succeeds Act and how important it was for all students in our state. For the first time, funds will be available through your localities for music education as a part of a well- rounded education. It is very important that each of us gets involved with the decisions on funding at the local school board level.

In summary, one of the wonderful parts of beginning a new school year is the clean slate we start with literally and figuratively. We can change the things we thought ineffective from the previous year and we can highlight what we have found to be successful teaching tools. I hope you will try to find a mentor teacher to help if you are new to the profession. If you are experienced, I hope you will take the time to help a younger teacher. We have the best jobs in the best country in the world. Take time to make a positive impact on other teachers as well as your students. Any and all suggestions for AMEA are appreciated and encouraged. Please feel free to email any of the board if we can help you in any way.

Have a great year!

Susan

AVA: Welcome to another new school year.

Jul 30 2016

Ginny Coleman I am very honored to be trusted with the task of leading the AVA over the next two years. After serving for six years on the AVA Board, I have identified some areas that I believe could use our attention. In this column I would like to discuss three of them: increasing our efficiency through the use of technology, focusing our mission statement, and reaching out to our membership.

TECHNOLOGY

I am very pleased to continue Carl Davis’ initiative to move our organization forward in its use of technologies that facilitate record keeping, registering for events, and communicating with our membership. We have tested several of these technologies over the past few years and feel confident that this is a time to move away from paper notifications and “snail-mail” and make use of the technology that is available to us.

In an effort to increase efficiency and reduce costs, we will be moving more of our communications from hard copy to electronic format. This year, we will e-mail most newsletters and correspondence, including All-State notification letters. We will continue to use tools like Vertical Response to send e-mails to our membership. We will continue to require registration with the AVA database so that we are sure to have your preferred e-mail address on file. We will also use Remind, a communication tool that will allow you to receive reminders of deadlines and other notifications via text message. You can join the AVA Member Remind group now by texting @avadir to 81010.

This year, registration for every AVA event will be available online. Our Executive Secretary/Webmaster is working diligently to have all of these forms ready for us by the beginning of the school year. The AVA Board has been testing the new forms and feedback is overall very positive. We think that you will find them to be very user friendly. However, we realize that with the move to any new technology there will be a learning curve. We will have a short session on using the new forms at our Fall Workshop. You may also reach out to any of the AVA Board members if you have difficulty when using the new forms.

Moving forward, we hope to find other ways that we can use technology to increase our efficiency. The AVA Board has already begun to explore the potential to reduce our All-State audition expenses through the use of various recording technologies. We welcome your input and ideas in this area.

MISSION STATEMENT

According to our handbook, the mission of the AVA is to provide a variety of educational experiences for students that will encourage their lifetime appreciation of and participation in the art of choral music. Our goals include promoting cooperation among choral directors in Alabama, enhancing the programs of vocal music in schools in Alabama, providing a means for professional ideas and methods to be shared, and promoting growth and higher standards in music education throughout the state.

In my personal and professional life, I constantly strive to do what I say I am going to do. I do not always succeed. However, it is a goal that I keep in the forefront of my mind because I want to be a person of integrity. As an organization, I believe that we must also do what we say we are going to do. Over the past six years of service to AVA, I have often wondered if we are truly following our mission statement and accomplishing the goals we have made. Do our events and services carry out the mission that we have identified or are we just doing what has always been done? Are there other things that we could be doing instead to better accomplish these goals? Please do not misunderstand me. I firmly believe in the value of many of the things that we do as an organization. But, if we do not occasionally pause to think about what we are doing and why we are doing it, we run the risk of becoming an organization that exists only to perpetuate itself. I would like to challenge you to identify areas where we can improve. Your ideas are always welcome.

REACHING OUT

There will be no way that we can fulfill our mission of serving the students in Alabama if we do not reach the teachers. Teachers are our connection to the students. A recent study identified several reasons why Alabama teachers do not participate in AVA events. While many of these circumstances are out of our control, we can do a better job of connecting with our teachers who may be new, struggling, or isolated. Some of our ideas include:
=Continuing the New Teacher Luncheon at Fall Workshop
=Reduced Fall Workshop registration fee for first-year teachers
=Free Fall Workshop registration for veteran teachers who have not attended in the past 3 years
=Free event registration for schools that have not participated in recent years
=Adjusting our performance assessment guidelines to give more adjudication options at SCPA

If you have ideas for other ways that we can connect with teachers who may be new, struggling, or isolated, please let us know. Your feedback is appreciated.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Our Fall Workshop will be held September 9th at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery. Dr. Jeffery Redding, who will also serve as our High School SATB All-State clinician, will present two interest sessions and a reading session. Dr. Andrew Minear, new choral director at UA, will also present a session. We will spend time reading the All-State music, meet briefly with our districts, and answer any questions about online registration forms. JW Pepper will be there to sell All-State music. Register online by visiting www.alavocal.org. Please attend and encourage others to attend as well.

Thank you for taking to the time to read about your professional association. Please send questions, suggestions, or ideas to me at presidentofava@gmail.com. Your feedback is always appreciated. Have a great start to your school year!

Ginny

ABA: Welcome back! News and words from the Alabama Bandmasters Association

Jul 30 2016

Mike Holmes2There are so many things related to teaching band that are the same year after year. The fundamentals of teaching children to play an instrument remain the same. Good posture, hand position, embouchure formation, how to enter the band room, where to put your stuff, respect for one another, and the list goes on but does not change. However, if it is year one or year thirty-five, it is an exciting time. Why? Because it is never really the same. Our students are what keeps this journey fresh, interesting, and not routine. I love sixth grade students! They are fun, needy, interesting, open, and smarter than we know. To see them go from not knowing how to put an instrument together to playing with proficiency in just a few months is very special. We are with them as they grow up, and that is why they are so special to us. The students that stick with us from beginning to end are why we come back for “another great year” because we know that someday those are the students that will come back and stand on the podium ready to begin their first great year!

ABA Summer Conference 2016 was “one of the best ever.” That is a comment that was repeated to me many times as we prepared to wrap up. I am positive that if you attended, you were not disappointed. Many thanks to the 313th Army Reserve band for opening our conference with music provided by their fine Brass Quintet. The 313th Jazz Combo provided entertainment and knowledge as they served as the demonstration group for David Allinder’s informative clinic related to the Jazz Band rhythm section. Dr. Rick Good, Jeff Fondren, Nathan Haskew, David Waters, and Stephanie Ezell showcased the wealth of talent we have in our organization by presenting outstanding clinics as well. “The Lure of the Dark Side,” presented by lawyer Emily Hawk Mills, contained information that every educator needed to hear. If her advice is followed, there would never be another educator jailed for inappropriate contact or communication with a student.

What great attendance we had for the Social Hour/Shrimp Boil – approximately 160 directors and family members attended. Old Fogey Steve McLendon shared some wonderful memories as well as a great message to all that attended. President-Elect Doug Farris is already planning a great 2017 Summer Conference. Thank you to AWB Apparel, Southern Performances, Art’s Music Shop, Demoulin Uniforms, Sound Choices Recording, Super Holiday Tours, and Mouchette Enterprises for serving as sponsors of the Social Hour. Hopefully, you and your family also got in some much needed beach time as well. We will return to Hampton Inn-Orange Beach June 21-22, 2017.

We had a very productive ABA Board meeting. I am honored to be working with such great people. The Music Selection Committee once again has added quite a few new compositions to our cumulative list. The Constitution Committee chaired by Doug Farris submitted a number of recommendations to clean-up our Bylaws and Board Policy. The Bylaw changes will be emailed to all ABA members to review prior to acting on them at the AMEA Conference. Executive Secretary Harry McAfee received a well-deserved positive review from the board as well. Thanks to Harry for a job well done. John Cooper and Chris Lindley presented our new Adjudicator Certification Training Clinic, and it was very well received by all in attendance. This is a “work in progress” and will continue to evolve. Check abafest and our ABA/AMEA webpage for future updates related to the application process and requirements.

As a member of NAfME/AMEA/ABA, you also have responsibilities. Return all dues, fees, registrations, and respond to all correspondence in a timely manner. Renew your NAfME membership now if you have not done so. All Alabama memberships expired in June 2016. Please do not wait until the AMEA Professional Development Conference in January to renew as this creates delays in the onsite registration and pre-registration pick-up process. Check the AMEA/ABA website regularly. You will find needed forms, All-State Band audition requirements and etudes, Cumulative Music list, ABA Directory, and other useful and needed information. Check the abafest.com site weekly for announcements and calendar updates. Your ABA state officers and district officers will continue to use this site to keep you informed as well as have you register for events such as All-State and MPA.

Conference registration and lodging reservations are available now. Visit the AMEA website to access this information. Pre-register today and save. We have a great line-up of performing ensembles and clinics/sessions representing ABA for this conference.

I wish you success as you begin another great year. And DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN!

COLL: Welcome back to another exciting school year!

Jul 30 2016

Josh Meyer­Greetings Collegiate Members,

Welcome back to another exciting school year! I hope your summer has proved to be a great time of rest and relaxation for all that lies ahead. Before the stress of methods classes, practice logs, and music history hit us full force, I would like to provide you with a small bit of encouragement. We are not just studying to be music educators. We are training to become life changers, culture creators, and superheroes in our own right. Like the teachers who inspired us through music, I firmly believe that each and everyone of you will make an amazing positive impact on the world.

Our largest and most important event this year is the collegiate summit on October 9th. It will be hosted at the University of Alabama in the newly renovated Ferguson Center, and will be catered by one of Tuscaloosa’s local barbecue establishments. In addition to accomplished guest speakers, the board is putting together a panel of recent graduates to answer any and all questions we as aspiring music educators have. It will be a great opportunity to not only learn how to best prepare for the teaching field, but also to network and make viable connections to those already there. It is an event you definitely do not want to miss!

Lastly, if you have not already, now is a great time to renew your NAfME membership. Doing so will keep you in the loop with all music education developments and professional opportunities.

The Board is putting all of our creative energy into making this an amazing year for the collegiate division, and I’m very excited to be a part of it. If you have any questions
commentsor concerns please feel free to contact me at any time!

Sincerely,

Joshua Meyer
AMEA Collegiate Division President
jpmeyer@crimson.ua.edu
(256) 566-1265

AOA: We welcome you to join us for an exciting upcoming year!

Jul 30 2016

Sam NordlundI am honored to succeed Sarah Schrader as President of the Alabama Orchestra Association. Under Sarah’s leadership, All-State Orchestra participation increased, and the AOA successfully ran Alabama’s first ever Orchestra Music Performance Assessment for full orchestras, string orchestras, and guitar ensembles this past April. Hosted by Auburn University, the event was a huge success and we plan for it to become an annual event!

AOA’s new executive board includes President-elect Dr. Guy Harrison (Auburn University), Secretary Dr. Daniel Stevens (UNA), and Treasurer Jacob Frank (Decatur Youth Orchestras). I myself teach at Samford University in Birmingham. The four of us, along with Past-President Sarah Schrader, are professional musicians and educators at all levels, from elementary to higher education. We are all strongly invested in building and strengthening programs across the state, and I encourage you to reach out to any of us with ideas on how we can create, support, and strengthen orchestras and string ensembles across Alabama.

It is no secret that Alabama lags far behind other states in public school string and orchestra programs. Each student who participates in All-State Orchestra, OMPA, youth orchestra, or their school program is a testament to the parents, teachers, and administrators who are invested in exposing our students to the greatest music of the past 350 years. With a full slate of high profile clinicians and conductors coming to Alabama to work with our children during the AMEA conference, All-State, and OMPA, I hope that even more school administrators will become aware of the value of orchestra and strings. Just imagine the school musical with a live, student orchestra in the pit, or a collaborative concert between the choir and orchestra!

Students in Alabama deserve opportunities to experience string and orchestral playing, just like they do in surrounding states and around the country. The University of Alabama, Samford, Auburn, and UNA are all producing high quality music educators who would love to remain in Alabama and start string or orchestra programs. Instead, they are leaving for opportunities in Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas to name a few. Take pride in not only supporting music education, but supporting professional and youth orchestras across the state. While we obviously need more string programs, it is just as important that our wind players are introduced to the exhilaration of symphonic playing. Orchestra must not be merely a niche, but an invaluable vehicle of fine art that opens doors to musical appreciation, education, and performance.

I am excited to announce that Dr. Andrew Dabczynski has accepted our invitation to present three sessions at the 2017 AMEA conference as one of our distinguished clinicians. Professor of Music Education at Brigham Young University, Dr. Dabczynski is co-author of the String Explorer series of method books. In addition to an exciting state conference, we will welcome Dr. Sandra Dackow (Festival), Dr. Foster Beyers (Sinfonia), and Dr. Christina Chen-Beyers as our 2017 All-State Orchestra conductors. Under the direction of Dr. Dackow, the Festival Orchestra will present the world premiere of Alejandro Basulto-Martinez’ Triptico de Luz, winner of AOA’s 2017 composition competition. Please visit www.alabamorchestrassociation.org for more information on our guests, and event dates including 2017 OMPA which will occur in the Spring at a date TBD.

We welcome you to join us for an exciting upcoming year!

AOA President’s Column Archive

ELEM/GEN: Post Summer News!

Jul 30 2016

Cliff HuckabeeI hope this message finds every one well after a restful summer. I am starting my second year as the President of the Elementary/General Division, and I look forward to serving you once again. Phil Wilson will continue as President-Elect preparing to take over as President in summer of 2017. Ben and Kristina Sisco will continue as our Music Festival Directors along with the rest of the Elementary Division Executive Board and District Officers.

Our 10th Annual Elementary Music Festival is coming up on Friday, October 21st, 2016 at Samford University. We have over 45 schools committed to participate totaling about 450 4th & 5th grade students from all over the state. We will have Roger Sams and Vicki Portis as clinicians, and we thank Dr. Susanne Burgess from Samford University for partnering with us and hosting the festival at Samford.

The following day from 9 AM till 3 PM (Saturday, October 22nd), we will have a joint AMEA/AOSA teacher workshop at a local elementary school in the Birmingham area. We are still working out all the details and we will email out registration information once it is available. If you are not receiving emails from the Elementary Division, please send us an email at: elementaryamea@gmail.com and we will gladly add you to our email list.

Finally, our AMEA Annual In-service will be Jan 19th – 21st, 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center in Montgomery. This will be our last year in Montgomery as we make the move to Birmingham in 2018. We are excited to have some outstanding clinicians and exhibitors this year. First, we will have Andrea Coleman with us on Thursday and Friday. She will also do a fun evening session on that Friday night. We will also have Roger Sams, Georgia Newlin, and David Frego from Music is Elementary, and they will present throughout the In-Service and will have a Thursday night fun session. Music is Elementary will also have a booth in the exhibit hall as last year. We will also have two elementary performances in the concert hall along with other sessions of interest to our elementary music teachers. I am very excited about the 2017 In-service and encourage everyone to attend! Please be sure to pre-register and book your hotel rooms at the special conference rate! You can find links to do both online at www.alabamamea.org.

I am honored to serve our elementary/general division as President, and I look forward to seeing you at one of more of our upcoming events!

Respectfully submitted,

Cliff Huckabee

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