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Day: August 1, 2018

AMEA: From the President’s Desk

Aug 1 2018

Hello AMEA!

I trust that you all had a great summer, and that you are ready to get back to the work of educating our young people. It has been exciting to follow all of the professional development activities that so many of you have been involved in through the summer months, and I consider myself very fortunate to be amongst such consummate professionals in our most excellent profession. I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent and work for you as your President for the next two years. I will endeavor to do my best in that capacity and I look forward to the work we will do together.

Summer Board Meeting
The Governing Board had a very productive meeting in June with a very full agenda. All the represented divisions gave excellent reports concerning the depth and breadth of their respective activities and programs. There are truly some exciting things happening throughout our state. All the divisions are both healthy and vibrant, and rest assured that each division is very well represented. I am happy to report that our organization is moving forward toward our 75th Anniversary in a strong financial position and membership numbers are solid. While active membership decreased a little last year, overall membership grew by 145 due to the growth of Tri-M. Way to go Tri-M! Membership numbers in fact remain in line with recent trends and history, but let’s do our best to grow the organization. Please talk to your fellow music education colleagues and encourage them to renew their membership in AMEA, or join us if they are not already a member.

Advocacy in Our Nation’s Capitol
The 68th NAfME National Leadership Conference, Collegiate Advocacy Summit, and 2018 Hill Day was June 26th-30th. Representing Alabama besides myself were AMEA Executive Director and Editor Garry Taylor, AMEA Immediate Past-President Susan Smith, AMEA President-Elect David Raney, NAfME Chair of the Council for General Music Education Dr. Rob Lyda, and AMEA Collegiate Division President-Elect DeLee Benton. While in Washington, DC we were able to meet with representatives from the offices of Senator Doug Jones, Senator Richard Shelby, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, and Congressman Bradley Byrne for Hill Day. Our message was well received in all offices as we shared the importance of music education in a well-rounded education. We made several requests as part of the goals for the day, both legislative and fiscal. This House and Senate have done a very good job of funding the “Every Student Succeeds Act” through the appropriations process, and all parts of the law are being funded for 2019 at significantly higher levels than during Fiscal Year 2018. For specifics on Federal appropriations, authorized spending, and all things “ESSA,” please see the NAfME website. During the National Assembly many valuable sessions were presented and information was shared amongst state leaders concerning subjects such as: Position and Mission Statements, Crisis Management, Finding and Nurturing Leaders, Coalitions at the National and State Level, Budgeting, Legal Issues, Technology, Diversity, Governance, Federal Funding, and Ethics.

2019 Professional Development Conference
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room and immediately get it out of the way. Registration was a major concern at our 2018 Conference. The root cause of this problem was an issue with the NAfME Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and our Registrar Pat Stegall, along with our AMEA Governing Board is determined to solve this for our members. In fact, we will not be using that CRM this year in order to expedite the registration process. However, the best way to mitigate this risk is to pre-register for the conference online and avoid the issue completely.

I am excited to announce that our Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, who will also be conducting a clinic session on beginning band. This year is also an Intercollegiate Band year, and we are excited to have Dr. Lowell Graham from UTEP as the conductor. We had a record number of performance applications this year and I am also proud to announce that we will be featuring more of our own students’ and teachers’ efforts at this year’s conference through some adjustments in the schedule and planning. As you know, we are returning to Birmingham for the conference this year. We will be using the BJCC Theater as our meeting space and large concert venue which will fit our events perfectly. Please make plans to attend the conference now, and plan on staying on site. The interstate highway system in Birmingham will still be significantly under construction at the time of our conference and you won’t want that impeding on your enjoyment of the conference. In addition to all the performances of our colleagues and their ensembles, there are going to be some fantastic clinics and sessions. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Agenda and Goals
My agenda over the next two years will be driven by the goals of Advocacy, Action, Technology, Collegiality, Standards, Knowledge, and Pride. I would like everybody to feel included, important, and crucial to the success of the AMEA. There is no stronger advocacy group than one which is united. We all play a part in the musical education and social development of our young people in Alabama, and I wish for us all to identify as one unified association. One of the main ways we will accomplish this is through advocacy efforts. I want us to become more visual in our communities, in our State Capitol, and be more culturally relevant to our populous. We will accomplish this in many ways. In addition to the standing committees spelled out in the by-laws, I am forming ad hoc committees as part of the the President’s Cabinet. The committees will be tasked with studying issues and sharing their findings with the organization. Additionally, we will be helping our state celebrate its bicentennial. There will soon be downloadable PDF arrangements of our state song on the AMEA website which I hope you will program on your various concerts and events. We will also continue with our performances in the State Capitol Rotunda during the spring legislative session. And finally, we will be a very vital component of the celebration and parade on December 14th, 2019.

Thanks and Moving Forward
Please join me in thanking Susan Smith for her leadership as President of the AMEA over the past two years. Susan is a tireless advocate for our profession and our students. Thank you so much Susan for your dedicated service to our organization. As we move forward into the 2018-19 school year, let’s all commit to finding that first year teacher, that new person to our state, and our fellow music educators not currently involved in AMEA and invite them to participate. My sincere wish is that you all have a great school year. Now let’s get busy educating our young people throughout our beloved State.

Have a Great Year!

Gregory L. Gumina, President

ABA: New Beginnings, New Opportunities!

Aug 1 2018

As we begin a new school year here in the scorching south, let’s remember the advice of Mike Holmes; SUNSCREEN!!! This heat makes me wish for an indoor practice facility. While we were on break, the summer conference was a great success. Your ABA Board is working diligently to improve the association and to strive to evaluate and make decisions that will begin to move us forward.

First, I would like to thank President-elect Terry Ownby and the members of the Music Selection Committee for their continued hard work on the All-State etudes. The middle school etudes will now be found in the Rubank Advanced Vol. 1 for this school year. The high school etudes will remain on their current cycle but will be reviewed by university instructors for the different instruments to recommend changes.

Second, the ABA evaluated the data from all ABA events gathered this past year and the findings will be shared with the membership in the near future. The board also approved the printing of the bylaws and policy handbook. ABA will be selling advertisement space in the books to offset the cost of printing and mailing. They will go out in September once the directory has been updated. Many of our directors are new, have new jobs, or are in newly created jobs. Please update your profile on abafest.com and also on myamea.org. It is very important to update both profiles.

There are two items of legislation to be voted on at AMEA. 2018-1 is legislation to include home school students in public school bands. It follows along with the AHSAA policy on home school students. 2018-2 is dealing with Solo and Ensemble and just corrects a mistake in the bylaws.

The board also participated in training for the different events they host in order to standardize procedures across the state. So, to say the first day of summer conference was busy is an understatement but very productive. The clinics this summer were outstanding; Jennifer Farris with eye opening copyright law, David Gregory with two informative clinics, Andy Nevala on Latin jazz with our own directors as a reading band, and David Waters with Harmony Director. We would like to thank Kim Bain for putting together the entertainment for the Shrimp Boil and Pat Stegall for his words as the Old Fogey. The conference shrimp boil could not be possible without our sponsors: AWB Apparel (Wayne Broom), Southern Performances (David Brannon), Group Travel Network (Justin Shuler), Mouchette Enterprises (Roland Mouchette), Custom Fundraising Solutions (Charlie Colwell), Demoulin (Jeff Therber and Frank Godfrey), Arts Music Shop (Mike Mason and Paul Freehling). Also, Scott Thompson Band Supply for the donuts and coffee.

AMEA is right around the corner and will be a great in-service opportunity. Thirty-five groups submitted to play at AMEA. All the groups submitted were outstanding and there will be some great performances. Once bands are selected, please consider playing music from all levels to showcase music ideal for any size band. Remember to book your rooms early. This year the performances will be in the BJCC Theater instead of the concert hall.

As I said earlier, many directors have new jobs. Please reach out to your new neighbors. Especially reach out to our first year directors to offer help, advise, and support so they have a great first year experience. As we continue to move forward, let’s continue to evaluate and make our programs better. If there is anything we can do as a board, please do not hesitate to ask. Once you receive your handbook, READ IT! My high school director, Becky Rodgers Warren, gave me the best advice as a new director. Read the handbook as the year progresses. Before each event READ THE HANDBOOK! Then as you evaluate your year go back and READ THE HANDBOOK. That was one of the best pieces of advice I received and has served me well through the years.

Good luck on a great year and remember – don’t forget the SUNSCREEN!

AOA: From the President!

Aug 1 2018

Dear Educators,

Welcome back to what I hope will be an exciting and successful year! The Alabama Orchestra Association is looking forward to serving the needs of our division’s teachers and students throughout the 2018-2019 school year. I would like to start by thanking Dr. Samuel Nordlund for his leadership and vision during his recent tenure as President of AOA. Since my arrival in Alabama only five short years ago I have observed first-hand the continued rise in talent, performance level and growth of traditional programs such as the Orchestra All-State Festival and the implementation of new ventures such as a dedicated Orchestra Music Performance Assessment event. It is because of the leadership of dedicated professionals such as Sam that the Alabama Orchestra Association is able to provide quality opportunities not only for string players in Alabama but for any instrumentalist that wants to experience the excitement and musical satisfaction that comes from performing in a symphonic setting.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the members of the AOA’s new executive board – President-elect Dr. Daniel Stevens (UNA), Secretary Rachel Christmas (George W. Carver HS), and Treasurer Jacob Frank (Decatur Youth Symphony). Along with myself (Auburn University) and past-President Dr. Samuel Nordlund (Samford), the new AOA board consists of a diverse group of educators and music professionals covering orchestral and string education from elementary through higher education and from school-based to community-based programs. Our mission continues to be to support and strengthen existing string and orchestra programs within the state as well as working to help establish new programs throughout Alabama to help meet the needs of underserved students.

Research shows us that Alabama, as well as some of our bordering states, continues to lag behind other regions of the country with regards to school-based string and/or orchestra programs. Currently, many of the students who participate in our programs must seek out and join one of the various community ensembles in order to participate in their desired musical ensemble as they are not able to participate in a school-based string/orchestra program at their local school. Many of these community-based ensembles meet once or twice a week during evenings or on weekends which can have a considerable impact on student’s schedules. As such, it is always with great excitement that we celebrate the news of a newly established school-based string or orchestra program, recognizing those school systems that are committed to providing their students with a comprehensive, well-rounded music program.

On a different note, as we begin a new school year I would love to hear from those of you currently teaching in a school-based or community-based string and/or orchestra program here in Alabama. We would like to publish a series of feature articles throughout the year on current teachers and programs via our social media pages and other available outlets. Stay tuned for more information!

The fall is an especially busy time for the AOA. The beginning of August will see excerpts posted for the upcoming Orchestra All-State Festival auditions. More information about audition dates, times and locations can be found on our website – www.alabamaorchestraassociation.org. As in previous years, students can take advantage of being able to audition in any district to help avoid scheduling conflicts brought about by football games or marching competitions. If you are a band director, we sincerely hope that you will encourage your students to audition for our All-State Festival. For wind, brass, and percussion students, the experience of performing with strings as well as the challenge of playing one to a part is second to none.

I am excited to announce that we have a stellar line up of conductors for our 2019 Orchestra All-State Festival which will be held from Feb 7-10, 2019 at the University of Alabama. Our Festival Orchestra will be under the leadership of Dr. Raphael Jimenez (Oberlin College), with Mr. Bryan Buffaloe from Clear Lake HS (TX) conducting our Sinfonia Orchestra, and Dr. Gail Barnes (USC) conducting our Consort String ensemble. Music being performed includes Manuel de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat Suite No. 2, Prelude & Mazurka from Coppelia by Delibes, Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave, Op. 31, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Bizet, and of course the winning entry from the AOA’s Annual Composition Contest.

The Alabama Orchestra Association always strives to find quality clinicians for the AMEA Professional Development Conference. We look for clinicians who will inform, educate, and inspire not only our state’s string teachers but music educators across all the divisions. The 2019 AMEA Conference (Jan. 17-19) will be no exception with a lineup of distinguished clinicians headlined by Bob Phillips who will present three sessions including a general session titled The Art & Science of Motivation. Bob, who currently serves as the Director of String Publications for Alfred Publishing, is renowned as an innovator in string education and brings a wealth of knowledge to his clinics drawn from his 27 years as a public-school educator.

We also expect to have several string vendors at the 2019 AMEA conference. As we finalize our vendors we will let you know who they are via our Facebook page so you can contact them with any specific needs you might have while you are attending the conference. Hopefully we won’t have any of the weather issues that forced several of our string-specific vendors to abandon their travel plans last year.

The 2018-2019 school year will also feature the 4th annual Orchestra Music Performance Assessment event to be held at Gadsden High School in the Spring of 2019. We are working on dates in April and should have those finalized and available to teachers soon. Please check our Facebook page and/or the AOA website for updates. We encourage all string teachers including those that teach guitar and non-traditional string ensembles from both school-based and community-based programs to plan on participating.

Lastly, the AOA is here to serve you. If we can be of any assistance to you or your program please reach out to us. We hope you have a successful and rewarding school year and look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.

Guy Harrison, AOA President

AVA: Funnel Vision: My Challenge to You

Aug 1 2018

Greetings!

I would like to open with a special memory from this past summer and a challenge for us all for this year. This summer, I had the great privilege of having lunch with Dr. Frances Moss; Dr. Moss’ church accompanist and former student at Calhoun College, Michelle West; and Shelli Rimes, director at Madison Academy and of the Huntsville Community Chorus Youth Chorale. Dr. Moss has been a music educator since 1962 and has served as past-president of both AVA and AMEA. She currently serves as Minister of Music and Laity at Austinville United Methodist Church in Decatur. I first met Dr. Moss at Carl Davis’ final concert as director of Decatur High School. Carl had invited her as a special guest, and he shared during the concert about how she had greatly influenced him to become a choral director. Prior to this, I only knew Dr. Moss by name, as I had watched for years as highly respected choral directors in our state were granted the Frances P. Moss Award in her honor during the All-State Choir concert.

During our lunch, I attempted to get Dr. Moss to tell me her background, at which point I was quickly told by Michelle that I would be hard-pressed to get Dr. Moss to talk about herself, as “Doc,” as she loving referred to her, is far too humble for that. I quickly understood what she meant. Dr. Moss spent the entire meal instead asking about my and Shelli’s choral programs and pouring encouragement into us. She was genuinely interested in our backgrounds and our futures. There was never a laundry list of items given about her accomplishments, though her accomplishments are many. Instead, we heard stories about past times in AVA and even listened as she still had ideas on how to serve the organization. We heard how Dr. Moss had completely changed Michelle’s life while she was in college by investing in her. Dr. Moss’ heart for her singers in her Chancel Choir, her congregation, her former students, and her friends is so very apparent. I left our lunch having been reminded that the relationships we build and the lives we change through our profession is the most important part – not our résumés, our titles, or our awards. Music is the medium through which we get to reach people and to bring beauty into the lives of others. What an amazing privilege and opportunity we have as choral directors!

My predecessor and mentor, Carl Davis, shared with me a quote that he’d once heard from Eph Ely. This quote hung in his office for years to serve as a reminder of what kind of director and person he strived to be. “Funnel vision – be interested in everyone and everything. Each day, make someone’s day better. Become someone to be reckoned with.” My challenge to myself and to you for this year is to have funnel vision! Let us not get so bogged down with deadlines and the pressures of receiving top scores that we forget to take time to know and love the human beings behind the voices we direct.

I also left my lunch with Dr. Moss with a newfound appreciation of how far our organization has come since her tenure as president. I encourage you all to go read about her on the AMEA website and to take time to reflect on where we’ve been and to be excited about where we are going as an organization. I am so thankful for all of the past-presidents like Dr. Moss that have come before me who have strived to better this organization through their service.
As you prepare for this year, please review the updates and reminders below.

SUMMER BOARD REPORT
I am honored to be serving with so many hard-working and forward-minded directors on the AVA Board. We had a very productive meeting this summer, and I would like to share a few of the decisions that were made. The AVA Board:

• Revised the AVA General Membership Handbook to reflect current policies and procedures.
• Reviewed the research conducted by the sight-reading committee and created revised guidelines to be implemented this year.
• Voted to use Acceptd for All-State Show Choir auditions this year in order to encourage more participation by alleviating travel and financial issues that are caused by having to travel for auditions.
• Decided to have two students from each school submit “Alabama” through Acceptd for All-State Choir auditions in order to test the program throughout the state.
• Revised the All-State audition form to a rubric-style format in order to clarify the process of scoring the students for the adjudicators and allow for more consistency in scores.

NAfME MEMBERSHIP and AVA DATABASE
Please be sure to renew your NAfME membership as soon as possible if you have not already done so. AVA members must also register annually in the AVA Database, which can be found by clicking on the “AVA Membership Enrollment” tab under the AVA Menu at www.myamea.org/ava. Your NAfME membership and AVA Database enrollment must be current to attend and/or participate in any AVA events, so renew and enroll today!

FALL WORKSHOP
Fall Workshop will be held on September 7th at Huntingdon College in Montgomery. Our guest clinician, Dr. Lesley Mann, Asst. Professor of Choral Music at Belmont University, will present two interest sessions and a reading session. Dr. William Powell, Paul Edmonson, Margaret Heron, and Jim Schaeffer will also present mini “how-to” sessions on gospel music, dealing with your administration, theory, and sight-reading, respectively. In addition, we will be sharing the revised sight-reading guidelines, demonstrating the process for submitting online auditions through Acceptd, and reviewing the All-State music packets.

AVA EVENTS
The 2018-2019 AVA Calendar of Events is posted on the AVA website and on page 39 of the Ala Breve. Visit the AVA website to also find a printable list of dates. With registration deadlines being as many as six weeks in advance of events, it is so easy for a deadline to sneak up on you. We all know how difficult it can be to obtain purchase orders and payments through school system bookkeeping departments quickly, so I encourage you to plan ahead for these deadlines now! Please send any questions, concerns, and/or ideas to presidentofava@gmail.com. I am hoping for a great year for you all!

Meg Jones, AVA President

 

 

From the ELEM/GEN President: Passion!

Aug 1 2018

A few years ago, a teacher friend gifted me with a rustic sign for my home. At the top of the sign in all capital letters was painted the word PASSION. The rest of the sign reads, “There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.” The friend wrote in an accompanying card that these words exemplify who she saw me to be. I was very moved by her gesture and the words on the card and sign. This sign hangs in a prominent place in my home to remind me of what I should consistently seek after when working with children; taking their dream worlds and introducing them to reality.

I was recently a member of a commission that examines professional learning in our state with the purpose of improving what is offered to educators. As is customary, we went around the room introducing ourselves. The facilitator asked us to name something fun we’ve done for the summer. Member after member stated professional learning opportunities they engaged in during the summer to improve their practice, while only a handful spoke of actual vacations. The sense that I got from the room could be described with one word; PASSION.

As we are in the preparation phases of returning to school, our PASSION goes out ahead of us and starts the engine that will soon become a charging choo choo on track to making dreams realities. Not because of the money, recognition or pride do we do anything that we do. (Well….maybe a little money). Instead, it’s the smiles on the faces of students who are exercising their PASSION through music making. It’s the feeling that we are sharing our dreams with students who will share with others and the circle continues. It’s the knowing that when melodies leave our lips or our instruments, they become tangible reality dipped dreams. PASSION!

During the summer months, your elementary division board has been hard at work planning professional development opportunities for you over the course of this next school year to assist you in educating the children of Alabama. It has been my honor to serve you as President of the Elementary Division along with Betty Wilson, President-Elect, Dr. Rob Lyda, Secretary, Lori Zachary, Treasurer and Cliff Huckabee, Past-President and Choral Festival Director.
This year, several professional development opportunities are available for you to attend beginning August 25. The East Alabama Music Workshop will be held in Auburn, AL at Grace United Methodist Church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (8:30 – 9:00 registration and refreshments). The guest presenter will be David Row. We will explore fresh new ways to use folksongs. There is no cost for the workshop. Four hours of professional development will be offered. Contact Dr. Rob Lyda for more details at lydarob@me.com.

The 13th Annual Elementary Music Festival will take place at Samford University’s Wright Center on Friday, October 12th. Students will learn from two outstanding Alabama music educators as we celebrate the Alabama Bicentennial. Dr. Damian Womack, choral, and Rhonda Tucker, Orff, will be the clinicians. This music festival is a great opportunity for our students. Thank you for your continued support of this festival.

Saturday, October 13th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. we will have our joint Fall Workshop sponsored by AMEA Elementary/General Division and AOSA. This year our clinician will be Orff specialist Rhonda Tucker. Stay tuned to the myamea.org webpage for further details as they become available.

The 2019 AMEA Professional Development Conference will be at the BJCC in Birmingham. This year we are honored to have Beth Ann Hepburn as our featured clinician. She will be presenting four sessions for all grade levels spanning multiple subjects. We will also have member guided sessions ranging from bucket drumming to dancing to folk songs. Be sure to renew your NAfME membership, so that you can take advantage of these rich learning opportunities.
We want to stay in touch with you and reach out to those who are not members of AMEA. Please email us at elementaryamea@gmail.com to update your information and please share this address with those who you know are not members. Also, join us on Facebook AMEA Elementary page.

Congrats to those who attended and earned Kodaly and Orff certification. Also, congrats to those who submitted your National Board Components. BRAVO!!
PASSION! A word that you exemplify each day of each month of each year. You share it, your students see it and feel safe to share their own passions with the world. I challenge you this year to be fearless in your choices, knowing that they are good for your students. I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and explore new avenues of music learning. I challenge you to renew your PASSION!

 

See you in October,
Phil R. Wilson, President
Elementary/General Division

HED: From the President!

Aug 1 2018

Another semester full of students, private lessons, performing ensembles, and teaching schedules; it’s a new fall term and time to educate more aspiring music educators and performers. Best of all, the 2019 AMEA Professional Development Conference will be fast approaching. I can’t wait and I hope you’re looking forward to it too.

Once again, we will gather together in Birmingham and enjoy conference sessions, performances, and collegiate fellowship. The HED is excited about the variety of sessions including operetta, performance and intelligence, percussion and woodwind collaboration, EdTPA, addressing “isms” in the classrooms, and much more.

The poster session is also on our conference schedule and I am confident we will not be disappointed with the depth of scholarly research presented. For more information, visit http://amea-research.org.

Not to be missed is the HED recital that is always a high point during the conference because of the wonderful student and faculty vocal and instrumental performances. We hope many new and returning ensembles from across the state will grace the stage. Please contact me if you have a student ensemble that you would like to present or if you and fellow faculty would like to be included on the program.

Until we meet in Birmingham, may each of you have a successful semester as you teach and inspire your students. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments at (mlanier@jeffersonstate.edu).

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