Greetings to all! I am currently writing this article after having spent 12 days traveling with the Hoover High School choir in France and, unexpectedly, Holland. If you are curious about the unexpected part, I hope I will have the opportunity to share the whole story with you at an event this year. Wherever life’s path led you this Summer, I am grateful it brought you back to a new school year! This year will mark my 16th first day of school as a teacher and I feel just as nervously excited now as I did on my 1st. I am also honored and humbled to begin my term serving as the Alabama Vocal Association President. My intention as the AVA President is to listen to the needs and concerns of the membership, to act in the best interest of our organization, and to support the teachers and students who participate in choral music education in our state. We have a lot to look forward to and I hope you will take every opportunity to involve yourself and your students in this year’s AVA events.
Summer Board Meeting
The AVA handbook is revised every even numbered year and I’d like to personally thank the board for their tedious and steadfast work reading through and updating the general membership and board handbook. As a result of our revision process, there are several proposed changes to the bylaws. The proposed changes will be emailed to the membership and voted on at Fall Workshop.
Based on the feedback and experience of the membership, the board spent a considerable amount of time discussing the All-State audition process. The current process has created a challenge in scheduling with regards to how long it takes for students to audition and stay on schedule for the day’s auditions. Our discussion was driven by three main factors: efficiency, rigor, and fairness. The board has come up with a plan that is intended to ensure auditions are conducted in a timely manner, demonstrate students’ musical proficiency of the assigned repertoire, and maintain continuity and integrity in the audition process. The new audition process will be as follows:
- Each student will sing selected measures from 3 of the 6 assigned repertoire in addition to Alabama.
- The 3 auditioned songs will be selected by the festival clinicians.
- Every student will sing selected measures of Alabama.
- Students will not know which of the 3 songs will be selected until they enter the audition room. Consequently, students will be required to learn ALL 6 selections prior to the audition.
Please know that much discussion and time went into this topic. We are hopeful this new procedure will aid in creating a more efficient All-State audition process while also providing a rigorous and meaningful musical experience for all students. We will discuss this change in more detail at Fall Workshop.
The board reviewed and approved all repertoire selections for the 2025 All-State festival. This year’s clinicians have selected excellent repertoire for our students and I cannot wait for the students to sign up and get started learning. The 2025 All-State clinicians are:
- MS Mixed: Victor C. Johnson
- MS Treble: Sophia Miller
- HS TTBB: Dr. Brian Murray
- HS SSAA: Dr. Joni Jensen
- HS SATB: Dr. Gary Packwood
More information is available about the clinicians on the Alabama Vocal Association website.
At the summer board meeting we also welcomed our new Executive Secretary, John Kincaid. John is the choir director at Hoover High School and has been an active member of the Alabama Vocal Association for more than 25 years. Please note that the new address for all AVA event checks and registration is 4921 Twin Pine Circle Hoover, AL 35226.
Fall Workshop
Thank you to Dr. Scott Sexton for his help in securing Huntingdon College for the AVA Fall Workshop event on Friday, September 6th. I encourage everyone to attend Fall Workshop. It is an excellent way to connect and collaborate with the choir directors in our state, discover new teaching methods, and receive information about all the things going on in the AVA. In addition to various teacher lead interest sessions, Dr. Emily Burch will be our clinician for the day. She will present sessions on vocal technique, engaging students in warm-ups, creativity, and improvisation. Dr. Burch will also present a session based on the book she has recently co-authored titled, The Business of Choir, where she has written on advocacy, recruitment/retention, fundraising, and project management. You will not want to miss this wonderful professional development and networking opportunity.
Please know that the AVA board is diligently working to provide the best opportunities for teachers and students. Feel free to reach out if you see any area of our organization where you feel you can serve, or if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. We all look forward to hearing from you and serving you this year. Each district chair will host a virtual meeting at the beginning of August. Please attend in order to meet your District Chair, receive important information for the year, and ask questions.
2024-2025 AVA Events
Please visit the AVA website: alabamavocalassociation.org to find the dates for all events for the year. Be aware now of all registration deadlines and plan ahead to avoid paying any late fees.
I hope you have a productive and smooth start to your school year. See you at Fall Workshop!