Archive for

Day: May 28, 2024

In Our End is Our Beginning

May 28 2024

Even though we know an ending is coming, we usually aren’t prepared for the ending to appear. The end of a job. The end of a TV show. The end of a career. The end of a school year. A constant in life is that when we start something new, an ending will eventually come. Each new beginning is the start of a journey that leads to an ending.

Endings are interesting. On one hand, endings give us a natural place to reflect and make judgments about the journey we just completed. Many times, endings are a way for people to tout the accomplishments of the journey just completed. Particular endings bring an overwhelming sense of relief because rest is coming. Some endings are a springboard that leads to new adventures.

Endings give us a natural pause for introspection. The value of a journey is often decided at the end. We can decide to dwell on what was or what didn’t happen, or we can celebrate the journey. Sometimes, endings aren’t what you expected or what you wanted. Part of our shared humanity is that we will experience many endings in our lifetime.

I’ve thought quite a bit about endings over the past few weeks. This will be my last President’s column in the Ala Breve. Two years have passed incredibly fast and my term as President of the Alabama Music Educators Association is coming to an end. I will tell you without a doubt, I am thankful for the journey I have been able to experience serving our Association.

One of my favorite songs is Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life”. I have vivid memories of listening to the 1966 LP on my grandparents’ record player as a child. If I close my eyes while I listen, I can hear the scratches on the LP and the rotation of the turntable from my youth. There are several different versions of the song by different artists, but for me, it always must be sung by the well-aged and bourbon-soaked voice of Frank Sinatra.

“I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet
A pawn and a king
I’ve been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing
Each time I find myself layin’
Flat on my face
I just pick myself up and get
Back in the race.”

One reason why I love the song “That’s Life” is because of the lyrics above. “I just pick myself up and get back in the race.” Many times over the past few years have we had to shake the dust from our shoes and keep running. COVID, budget cuts, staffing reductions, proration – I’ve seen them all. During each challenge, I’ve seen music educators find a way for music education to continue. We are experts at persevering and performing miracles to ensure children have music in their lives. Things will never be perfect, but we can always be the perfect person to provide music education for our children.

I would like to leave you with a few observations and a bit of advice. Stay vigilant and continue to advocate. Elected officials are going to continue to pass laws without thinking through the consequences of their actions. Education and in particular, arts education, shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Society will be better if children have access to a comprehensive and well-rounded education that includes music education. We must remain resolute in our demands that our elected officials do what’s right for our children and our state. We must continue to demand children in Alabama have access to music education K-12.

It’s easy to look at Georgia and Florida and see their successes in graduation requirements and diploma seals and be envious. Instead of turning green with envy – advocate and demand the same for our children. Advocacy is a personal responsibility of every one of us. If we want the same success that we see in other states, then we must work for the same successes and demand better for our children. Each of us must work daily to build advocates in our local communities to improve access to music education.

Music education provides a viable career path and builds children’s capacity to be successful in other careers. Americans for the Arts just released the latest “Why Arts Matter” fact sheet for Alabama (https://www.artsactionfund.org/alabama). According to the latest figures, the Arts and creative sector provides 6.4 billion dollars to Alabama’s economy and accounts for 2.6% of the state’s GDP. Music education can and is a viable pathway to Career and Technical Education. However, we must not allow Career and Technical Education to overtake music education. We must find a harmonious way to exist without one overtaking the other.

Our profession has stated since the 1960s that secondary music programs only reach 12-20% of secondary students. We must continue to expand music education offerings to attract the other 80% of students in our schools. There are children in our schools who are engaging in music outside of school and would welcome the opportunity to engage in music during the school day. I know how hard you all work and you feel that your plates are overflowing. However, the other 80% want to be involved in music.

What would our schools look like if we offered our traditional bands, orchestras, and choirs, but also offered Modern Band, Music Technology, Guitar, Composition, and other music courses? How many more children would be involved in music education? We are only limited by our own imaginations of what music education could be in Alabama. I would love to see a school where 80% of the secondary students were involved in music education and the state had to pay for additional teaching units for music educators. We must expand our secondary music offerings because some of the children that aren’t involved in our current secondary music offerings will be the decision-makers of tomorrow.

Our Association needs to speak up for the communities and schools where there isn’t music education. There are places in our state where music programs are limited or non-existent. We must stand in the gap and be the voice for the voiceless. I want every child to have access to music education taught by a certified music educator. The legislature is discussing changing the funding formula for the foundation program in the 2025 legislative session. This could be our opportunity to come together and advocate for the state to fund a music educator in every school.

Take care of each other. Education is hard, but it’s better when you have friends, mentors, and colleagues who check on you. When people ask me why AMEA and NAfME are important – it’s the people and friendships I have made. I have been blessed throughout my career to have wonderful friends and mentors who have supported me. Many of these relationships exist because of our shared involvement in AMEA. Our early career teachers need the experienced teachers. The experienced teachers need the early career teachers. I encourage you to connect with a music educator in your area every month next year. Have a meal, listen to each other’s ensembles, have a cup of coffee, and make a new friend.

I choose to look at this ending as a springboard to continue the journey. I look forward to finding new ways to serve our Association and music education in Alabama. As I’ve said many times – as long as I have a pulse and breath in my body, I will do everything possible to advocate for music education. Our state and our children need music education in their lives.

I’m excited about the future of our Association. You have selected competent and caring leaders that will propel us to new heights. Congratulations to our newest elected Governing Board members, Dr. Travis Bender – President-elect, and Heather Holmes – Recording Secretary! I know you will both do a fabulous job. We are depending on your leadership to drive music education forward.

We have a staff that is dedicated, hardworking, and committed to making our Association the best. Thank you, Rusty, David, Pat, and Garry, for your support of our Association! I couldn’t imagine the past two years without all of you. Our membership doesn’t fully realize what an asset you are to our Association. Thank you!

Dr. Phil Wilson is going to be a fantastic President and I can’t wait to see what the future holds under his leadership. I know Phil will lead our Association with the same care, grace, intelligence, and warmth that has guided his professional and personal life. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to serve as President with one of my dearest friends as President-elect. Thank you, Phil, for your help and encouragement over the past two years and throughout our careers. I value our friendship more than words can ever describe.

Friends, thank you for your service. Thank you for continuing to show up each day and ensuring children in our state have access to music education. Thank you for selecting me to serve YOU and Alabama’s students. It has been my honor to serve as the President of the Alabama Music Educators Association. I look forward to the journey ahead serving music education in Alabama!

From the Registrar

May 28 2024

I am excited that the AMEA board and staff are making plans for the 2025 AMEA Professional Development Conference in Birmingham on January 23-25, 2025.  It will be good to be back in Birmingham and I look forward to serving you!  The membership deadline is approaching at the end of June, so make sure you renew your membership prior to June 30 so that your membership does not lapse and cause a delay in your conference registration!  Make sure to use the link on the AMEA website to join/renew and as soon as the conference registration link becomes available, go ahead, and register for the AMEA 2025 Professional Development Conference! PS

Passing the Baton

May 28 2024

Moving toward the close of another school year is always a good time to reflect on the past twelve months. In doing so, I always think back to those special teachers, colleagues, and experiences that have helped shape my career along the way and that continue to fuel my passion for teaching. I’m a graduate of the Dana School of Music, located in northeast Ohio, right between two major cities, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and like many regional institutions with nearby access to larger metropolitan areas, the Dana School of Music has produced many outstanding graduates in the field of music over the years that have helped shape the local music scene in northeast Ohio.

I realize now how fortunate that I was to grow up in a small town where the local school district had an amazing elementary school music teacher. Those early experiences of using rhythm sticks to learn how to count beats, using Orff instruments to learn to differentiate between pitch while learning the names of line and space notes, and using recorders to transition into a beginning band class were invaluable to my and other students’ development. I attribute a good deal of our district’s success at the secondary level directly to those early experiences and weekly visits to the music room, which for me and many other children, was a magical space.  My heart sinks every time that I go into a K-5 school now and do not see a music specialist available to meet weekly with students, or when I walk into a music room that has no classroom instruments for young children to explore by way of hands-on learning.

I, like many others in our field, am incredibly concerned about the future of Arts education in Alabama and in our country. From music being eliminated entirely in schools, to schools not being able to find any certified, trained teachers to fill vacated positions. I often hear idealistic phrases such as “music is for everyone,” but the actions of local and state school boards often do not mirror this sentiment. Music and the Arts are often still relegated as an afterthought and are often not recognized or considered an essential part of the curriculum, like our STEM counterparts. For anyone concerned about Arts education in America, Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference is a fascinating read. I keep wondering when the pendulum will swing back to Music and the Arts and a more humanistic way of connecting, creating and learning. Maybe never?

My reply to this question is, do not be afraid to be proactive. I applaud the educators in our state who are not influenced or intimidated by the latest trends or buzz words in education; trends and talking points which are often politically motivated and generated with a certain agenda in mind. Maybe I am in a unique position as I have always taught in classrooms where parents, lawmakers, and other outsiders were not scrutinizing every word and action related to delivering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable curriculum. It is quite apparent that such folks have never been around a large group of creative thinkers, and that they have no idea how we think, feel, act, or even what we want. Our diversity is what makes us so powerful and so wonderfully flexible, and so effective at reaching so many different people through one simple activity or performance.

Standards, rubrics, TSW statements, assessment measures… bring it on, it’s all good. Trying to make music and the Arts into some sort of cookie cutter subject is an interesting, albeit entirely flawed concept, in my opinion. The transmission of knowledge and skills in music is much like a mash-up of all of the ways in which children learn, so good luck trying to make that standardized. Humans are not robots… not yet, anyway!

So, where is music education moving today? Honestly, nobody knows, but to quote a favorite late 80s movie… if you build it, they will come. Wouldn’t it be nice to see more building and less tearing down in our schools and society in general. In any event, this is the foundation and ideas that have guided my pathway in education, and that have allowed me to build a comfortable and rewarding career. Some of the greatest words of wisdom that I ever received from professors and mentors at the Dana School were to be around like-minded people who share the same passion. Before passing the baton to our new HED President, Dr. Stephen Foster, I will leave you with one closing thought. Be positive, be nurturing, and always be the solution rather than the problem.

Best wishes, and #LoveMusic

Fantastic Elementary Performances!

May 28 2024

Greetings to all you elementary music teachers out there! I know all of you are winding down your school year, preparing students for all those year-end performances. If you are like me, it can be exhausting and rewarding at the same time. It does us all good to look back on the year we have had in AMEA as well as look ahead to next year and all the things planned for our AMEA teachers and their students.

After the canceled conference in January, the AMEA executive board was determined to ensure that all student performances were rescheduled. They all worked tirelessly to secure venues and communicate dates and other information with our teachers, students, and parents.

Congratulations to Kitty Stone Singers and director, Cheryl J. Wight, on their outstanding performance in Anniston on February 29. The students were so excited to be able to share the music they had prepared for us at conference in this rescheduled concert. Way to go, Kitty Stone Singers!

Please consider having your elementary ensemble perform for us at the next AMEA Professional Development Conference in Birmingham at the BJCC. AMEA is now accepting Concert Performance Applications at Concert Performance Application Link, and we need elementary groups to perform. The application deadline is June 1, 2024.

In addition, AMEA is now accepting Session Applications for the 2025 Conference. Please consider applying to present a session Clinic Session Application Link. The application deadline June 1, and accepted clinicians will be notified no later than August 15.

The inaugural performance of our Elementary All-State Choir was held on March 22 in Huntsville. We had 22 teachers and 126 students from 25 schools participate. Greg Gilpin, our guest conductor, led the students all day in rehearsal and in the spectacular concert that evening. You will definitely want to plan for your students to participate in the next Elementary All-State Choir in 2026 in Birmingham. Your students will learn, grow, and mature as young musicians through this rewarding opportunity.

Now, it is time to look ahead and make sure you are planning for your students to participate in our next Elementary Music Festival scheduled for October 25, 2024, at Metropolitan Church of God in Hoover. The festival is a one-day event designed for students in grades 4-6 that will culminate with a concert open to the public at 6:30 that evening. You do not want to miss the opportunity to have your students work with our outstanding guest clinicians, Dr. Erika Knapp and Dr. Morgan Luttig.

I hope you all have had a productive school year, and I sincerely wish you a restful summer. Be sure to keep your AMEA membership current so your students can benefit from all these wonderful AMEA opportunities. Also, be sure to follow AMEA Elementary on Facebook for the latest updates and reminders. Your Elementary board members and district chairs look forward to seeing you next year.

Elementary executive board

  • President – Alicia Luttrell
  • President-Elect – Jason Jackson
  • Treasurer – Devin Lacey
  • Secretary – Melissa Galanopoulos
  • Past-President – Sarah McLendon
  • Festival Director—Taylor Knuppel
  • District Chairs
  • District 1: Lea Hoppe & Viktoria Truesdail
  • District 2: Karen Morgan & Jamie Howell
  • District 3: Trudye Confessore & Kris Lindley
  • District 4: Laura Clevenger & Kaitlyn Melton
  • District 5: Katie Boyd
  • District 6: Christy Clark
  • District 7: Regina Williams
  • District 8: Andrea Marsh

Meet the New AL cNAfME Board!

May 28 2024

President – JP Aufdemorte

JP Aufdemorte is a music education major at The University of Alabama (UA). At UA, JP has performed with the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, University Chorus, Brass Ensemble, and the Million Dollar Band (MDB). He has served as a baritone section leader for the MDB and as the Underclassman and Service Director for UA’s cNAfME chapter. JP holds Phi Eta Sigma, cNAfME, ITEA, and Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity membership.

“Hello, my name is JP Aufdemorte, and I am honored to serve as the Alabama State cNAfME President. This year, I have three main goals: increase involvement in the state chapter, provide new learning experiences, and connect chapters and individuals within the state. It is an honor to serve the state and fellow future music educators.”

Secretary – Cameron Rodgers-Johnson

Cameron Rodgers–Johnson is a senior music education major at the University of Alabama–Birmingham, where he just wrapped up his term as chapter president for UAB’s cNAfME chapter. He previously served the chapter as Vice President in 2022 – 2023 and is excited to serve at the state level as Secretary this coming academic year.

“My primary goal for this term is to promote better connection and communication across all the chapters to establish a better, more permanent link between all the chapters across the state. I’d also love to feature more state chapters on the AL cNAfME Instagram, @cnafme_al!”

Treasurer – Reid Sayle

Reid is a junior at the University of Alabama. He is a member of the Million Dollar Band and Symphonic Band and a second-year member of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Reid hopes to communicate more about financial literacy within music education amongst Collegiates and create a better system for spending and reimbursement for the organization.

Presidential Farewell

“Hello, Alabama Collegiates and music educators! I have enjoyed serving on the state board the last three years as Treasurer, President-Elect, and for a short time as President. Unfortunately, due to some family events, I cannot attend Troy University next year and will have to move home to Florida. My time on the board has been instrumental to my growth as a student, person, and future music educator. I am glad that I have met some of you and learned the great things happening with music education in Alabama.

I want to thank a few people who have inspired, taught, and guided me throughout my degree and my time on the board. I want to thank Mrs. Susan Smith, Past-President of AMEA and the current advisor for the Troy University cNAfME chapter; she inspired me to get involved in cNAfME and pushed me to be more confident in what I am doing both in leadership and the classroom. I would also like to thank Sarah Hicks, the previous President of the Alabama State cNAfME chapter; she was so supportive and made it her goal as President to involve me and the others on the board in all that we did. I am delighted to have met Sarah and created a friendship with her. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Merciers, the Alabama NAfME Collegiate Advisor, who has guided me on the board from the beginning. She has helped me navigate this excellent opportunity to serve on this board and has been so understanding and helpful in this transition.

Stay tuned for upcoming information and events on our Instagram @cnafme_al.

All-State

May 28 2024

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making this year’s All-State Choral Festival a success.  This event would not be possible without so many of you being willing to serve as choir coordinators, transportation coordinators, rehearsal monitors, concert coordinators, and so many other jobs. It takes all of our wonderful directors to put on such a successful event.  I hope the festival was a wonderful experience for your students and that they brought their enthusiasm back to your choir rooms.

At our general membership meeting, we finalized our teacher panel to evaluate our All-State audition process. They will be meeting and creating a report to present to the board. If you are interested in being on this committee, please let us know.

We will be returning to the BJCC for All-State Choral Festival on April 3-5, 2025. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Fall Workshop

We had a wonderful time this past year at the University of Montevallo. For this year’s Fall Workshop, we will return to Huntingdon College in Montgomery on Friday, September 6. 

If you have anything you would like to present at Fall Workshop or any sessions you would like to see presented, please let me know.

AMEA

We will be returning to Birmingham for the 2025 AMEA Professional Development Conference on January 23-25, 2025. 

Please consider submitting to present a session or to have your choir perform at the conference.  The deadline to apply is June 1 and the application may be found on the AMEA website under the “Conference” tab under “Apply to Perform or Present.”  There were so many great performances and sessions at the conference this year, so please submit so we can continue highlighting the excellent choral music from across our state.

Honor Choir

We are so grateful that we were able to have our rescheduled Honor Choir in Huntsville in March. Our students enjoyed our clinician, Dr. Valerie Harris, and they presented an amazing concert in conjunction with the Elementary All-State Choir. We are thankful to Huntsville First Baptist Church and to the elementary division for collaborating for this performance.

ASSC

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our All-State Show Choir Festival. Thank you again to Cameron Johnson for running such a successful event as Show Choir Coordinator and to Kate Dupuis at Hartselle High School for hosting.

Summer Board

This year’s Summer Board meeting will be held on June 2-5.  If you have feedback or any items you would like me to add to our agenda for discussion and review during our meeting, please provide that to me through written feedback prior to June 1.  You may do that by emailing me at hilen.wilson.ava@gmail.com or by completing the membership survey that was sent to your email at the beginning of May.

I would like to take this time to say a huge thank you to the board for their constant support and help throughout the past two years. I truly could not have managed without them. It has been a true honor serving as your president for the last two years. The Alabama Vocal Association has given me and my students so much and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to give something back.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and are able to find some time to reflect on this school year and to rest and refocus for this coming fall.  If I can be of help to you in any way, please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you all at Fall Workshop!

Hilen

Members of the Alabama Music Educators Association,

May 28 2024

The Alabama Orchestra Association’s Orchestra Music Performance Assessment (OMPA) 2024 was held on Friday, April 5, 2024. It was a full day highlighting the accomplishments and development of orchestras and string ensembles from across Alabama, and the day was an enormous success. Our stage judges were Dr. Christina Volz Stomackin (University of North Alabama), Dr. Annalisa Chang (Clayton State University), and Mr. David Metrio (Gwinnett County Public Schools), and our sightreading judge was Dr. Christopher David Thiem Lawhorne (University of Alabama). Participating ensembles included:

  • Thompson High School Philharmonic (Alabaster), Jordan Ford, conductor
  • Thompson Middle School Orchestra (Alabaster), Jordan Ford, conductor
  • Emma Sansom Strings (Gadsden), Emma Dilley, conductor
  • Ramsay High School String Orchestra (Birmingham), Rachel Christmas, conductor
  • Carver Elementary and Arts Magnet Strings (Birmingham), Tabitha Holder, conductor
  • G.W. Carver High School Orchestra (Birmingham), Catherine Cochran, conductor
  • Academy for Academics and Arts M.S. Sapphire Strings (Huntsville), Mary Peck, conductor
  • Gadsden Middle School String Orchestra (Gadsden), Rachel Sherrod, conductor
  • Gadsden City Titan Orchestra (Gadsden), Keith LaBenne, conductor
  • Graceful Glissandos (Birmingham),
  • Layla Humphries, director

I am grateful to the administration, faculty, and staff at Thompson High School for donating the use of their gorgeous Performing Arts Center. Thank you to Dr. Wayne Vickers (Superintendent), Michael Lee (Principal), Jordan Ford (Orchestra Director), Graham Bennett (Band Director), Corey Hyman (Band Director), and Michael Giddens (Technical Director).

In February, at the All-State Orchestra Festival in Tuscaloosa, the membership of AOA elected officers that will serve a two-year term, beginning June 1, 2024. They are:

President: Jordan Kirchner Ford is a native of Knoxville, TN. She attended Samford University where she received her Bachelor of Music Education. She taught general music and strings for 4 years in Birmingham City Schools before becoming the Orchestra Director at Alabaster City Schools in the Fall of 2021. Jordan currently teaches the orchestra classes at Thompson Intermediate, Middle, and High Schools. She is also the youth orchestra manager for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Jordan went on to receive her Masters in Special Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Special Education in the spring of 2022.  Jordan has been playing the violin since she was four years old and has actively played in amateur and professional orchestras ever since. She lives in Chelsea, AL, with her music teacher husband, 4 year old, and two fluffy, white dogs. 

Past President: Joseph Lee is the Resident Conductor of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Huntsville Youth Orchestra, Music Director of the Tennessee Valley Music Festival, Music Director of the Festival Internacional de Música Cóbano (Costa Rica), the Director of Music Ministries at East End United Methodist Church in Nashville, the Principal Conductor of Nashville’s professional modern music ensemble, “chatterbird,” and the Artistic Director of Nashville in Harmony’s youth chorus, Major Minors. Joseph has served on the faculties of Vanderbilt University, Sewanee: The University of the South, University of Alabama Huntsville, and recently served a one-year appointment as the Interim Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Alabama. A bassoonist and cellist, he has developed a passion for Eastern music and studies the Japanese shakuhachi and the Armenian duduk. Joseph will finish his Master of Divinity at Claremont School of Theology in December of 2024 and will be commissioned as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church this June.

Vice President/President-Elect: Keith LaBenne is the Orchestra Director at Gadsden High School and received his Bachelor of Music Education from Jacksonville State University. His own journey playing string instruments began in a school orchestra class when he was in the 6th Grade. He chose to be a part of both the orchestra and the band programs. At JSU he was a member of the Marching Southerners and the JSU Community/University Orchestra founded by Dr. Victor Vallo. Keith was a founding member of this orchestra and continues to play in it today. Over the years, he has played in numerous string quartets, musical/pit and church orchestras, the Gadsden Symphony Orchestra, and the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra. He also plays bass in bluegrass bands, including the Distant Cousins and Kelli Johnson and Chimney Peak. Keith enjoys spending time with his family and taking care of his chickens.

Treasurer: Tricia Marotz teaches violin, viola, cello, guitar, and bass, and has owned TM Music Studio since 1997. She is a member of Staccatti, a string quartet, and serves as the Concertmaster and President of the Board for the Tri-State Community Orchestra in Dothan. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Utah State University. Tricia’s favorite style of music is classical, but she is eclectic, enjoying performers like Lindsey Sterling, the Piano Guys, and Pentatonix.

Secretary: Rachel Christmas is a Detroit native and began playing violin at the age of six. She pursued her passion for music through private lessons, concerto competitions, youth orchestra ensembles, including the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Youth Orchestra. Rachel pursued her undergraduate studies at Birmingham-Southern College and received her Masters in Music Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. During her time as a student, she performed with the Alabama Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra, the Samford University Orchestra, the Concert Choir, as well as the Marching and Symphonic Bands. Rachel has taught in Gadsden and Birmingham, and currently serves as the Orchestra Director at Ramsay High School. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

It has been an honor to serve as the President of the Alabama Orchestra Association for the past two years. I am proud to tell you that orchestral music education is vibrant and so alive in many areas of Alabama, but we have much work to do. I must remind you that approximately one-third of Alabama schools do not have a music teacher. It is the sincere hope of the Alabama Orchestra Association and Alabama Music Educators Association that, someday, every public-school student in Alabama will have access to this art form if they desire to participate. Help spread the word about the work we are doing to your community, colleagues, friends, family, local media outlets, and government officials. Let your legislators know that you, too, dream of a day where all Alabama children will have the opportunity to have their lives enriched through the arts.

Members of the AOA and beyond, thank you for all that you do to ensure that orchestral music education thrives in the State of Alabama. May we continue to build musical communities where our students find safe spaces to express themselves, their experiences, their hopes, and their dreams for a kinder world where all are loved, nurtured, and supported.  May this be our mission and may music be our vehicle.

Musically yours,

Joseph Lee, President

Reflecting on the 2024 All State Band Festival

May 28 2024

For many, band is more than just a musical pursuit; it’s a transformative journey filled with camaraderie, discipline, and personal growth. As I sit here, the day after our 2024 All State Band Festival, I’m reminded of the numerous individuals whose lives have been enriched by their participation in band. From large metro areas to quaint rural communities, the spirit of music resonates deeply, weaving its melody into the very fabric of our society.

The countless hours spent by so many individuals helped to assure this year’s All State Festival was a success.  We kicked off the festival with our President Elect, Keith Anderson doing  a fantastic job with our Solo Festival. I commend the  eighty two participants in the prelims,  who poured  their hearts and souls into their performances. Congratulations to Thomas Washer for his first place finish along with our other finalists: Benjamin Bailey, Noah Bender, Madeline Cagle, Kenimer Lewis, Riley Morris, Gloria Phillips, Landon Roberts, Rachel Strong, and Elijah Winslet.  To celebrate 25 years of this event, beginning in 2025, the Solo Festival winner will be awarded the Glenn Spiller Solo Festival Scholarship.  Thank you Glenn for the vision you had for this festival!

Our All State Band conductors were absolutely incredible and gave so much of themselves to our students. I am so appreciative of our hosts and percussion techs; Red Band conductor Mr. Richard Floyd was hosted by Jon Bubbett and Rebekah Hammock, White Band conductor Dr. Sue Samuels was hosted by Heather Henson and Doug Teuscher, Blue Band conductor Mrs. Carol Brittin Chambers was hosted by Damon McAllister and Alex White, Red Band MS  conductor Mrs. Cheryl Floyd was hosted by Tim and Connie Hammond and Josh Lynch, and White Band MS conductor Mr. Mickey Smith Jr. was hosted by David Caddell and Courtney Langford.  The Percussion equipment was organized and provided for all of our bands by Red Band Keith Anderson of James Clemens HS; White Band Jack Albert of Sparkman HS; Blue Band Kevin Smart of Bob Jones HS; MS Red Band Andrew Kirk of Huntsville HS; and MS White Band  Clay Sloan of Austin HS.

Thank you to our clinicians, Dr. Demetrius Scott, Dr. Ed Nichols, Greg Faulkner, Chris Pennington, Matt Weaver, Nick Staff, Jared Holland, and Jonathon Steinman.  They brought some wonderful ideas to the discussion!   I also need to thank the awesome exhibitors that we had!  The venue was always busy and it is exciting to see new products and concepts being brought into our band world!

“To everything, there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.”  Thank you to the members of the Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu for their commissioned composition “There Is a Season” by Dr. Larry Blocher,  in honor and  remembrance of our friend and colleague, Robert W. Smith. The premier performance by the Red Band was a fitting tribute to Robert’s history,  whereas as a high school trumpet player, he performed in the Alabama All-State Red Band.  In 2015, Robert returned to the All-State Festival as the conductor of the Red Band.  Please continue to keep Robert’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

As I reflect on the All State Band Festival and the broader impact of band programs in Alabama, I’m filled with a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the dedicated members of the entire ABA Board, who tirelessly work behind the scenes to assure our students have opportunities to grow and experience musical moments that they will cherish for a lifetime.   I am grateful to have served on the ABA Board with our outgoing District Chairmen Nathan Haskew D2, Dr. Travis Bender D4, Deanna Marshall D6 and Adam Brumberg D8. They have given of their time, energy and leadership selflessly, and it is appreciated by all of us.

In the end, band is not merely an extracurricular activity; it’s a way of life—a testament to the power of music to uplift, inspire, and unite us all. As we look to the future, let us continue to cherish and celebrate the transformative magic of all things band in Alabama and beyond. May you all have a peaceful ending to the school year, filled with gratitude for all that we have accomplished.

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