Dear music educators,
I hope everyone is enjoying a much-needed rest before the thrill of the school year begins. The Alabama Orchestra Association has an exciting year ahead, so please make sure you keep up with member emails, social media, and our website!
New Executive Boards
On June 1, we welcomed our new Executive Board, elected during our general membership meeting at the Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival. Their bios were included in the May/June 2024 Ala Breve, but we are excited to officially welcome them to their roles.
President: Jordan Ford,
Alabaster City Schools
Past-President: Joe Lee,
Huntsville Youth Symphony
Vice-President/President-Elect: Keith LaBenne, Gadsden City High School
Treasurer: Tricia Marotz,
TM Music Studio
Secretary: Rachel Christmas,
Ramsay High School
AMEA Conference
We are so excited to welcome the 2025 AMEA Conference back to Birmingham. Since the 2024 Conference couldn’t happen, our clinician Brenda Brenner graciously agreed to join us in January 2025. Brenda Brenner is Professor of Music and Eugene O’Brien Bicentennial Executive Associate Dean (Interim) at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She specializes in string music education, teaching applied violin, as well as courses in violin and string pedagogy. The sessions Dr. Brenner will be presenting will address basic setup procedures for integrating ideas into literature. We are excited to gather with our AOA friends and friends from other divisions. This year felt empty without the chance to be with colleagues!
All-State Orchestra
AOA is also looking forward to returning to Tuscaloosa for All-State Orchestra in February. We have a great lineup of clinicians for each ensemble.
- Festival Orchestra: Douglas Droste, Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts
- Sinfonia: Dr. Tim Heath, Wake Forest University
- Consort String Orchestra: Matthew Nix, New Trier High School
Be on the lookout for audition materials and important dates!
Important Dates
- UNA Honors Orchestra: Oct. 11-12
- Strings/Harp/Piano Audition Videos: DUE Oct. 18
- Woodwind/Brass/Percussion Audition Videos: DUE Nov. 15
- All-Region Orchestra Festivals: Jan. 11-12
- All-State Orchestra: Feb. 13-16
- OMPA: April 4
Please feel free to contact any of the Executive Board with questions you may have. We are here to support the music educators of Alabama!
Respectfully,
Jordan Ford
AOA President