Happy second semester! I hope you are off to a great start and are making beautiful music with your students. I know we all have been reminded in the last few weeks of the importance of remaining flexible and patient not just with our students, but with ourselves and the many obstacles that are put in our way. Thank you for remaining positive when we encounter these barriers and for teaching your students to do the same.
AMEA Conference
I am deeply disappointed that we were not able to see each other at the AMEA conference this year. Please know that the decision to cancel was not made lightly, and that we were all very upset to have to make such a tough decision. There were many consequences to the cancellation, including not being able to hear the beautiful performances from the Hartselle High School Chamber Chorale, Hewitt-Trussville High School Chamber Choir, Indian Springs School Chamber Choir, Jacksonville State University A Cappella Choir, and the University of North Alabama Collegiate Singers and Chamber Choir. I know the performances would have been fantastic and I want to personally thank the students and directors for their hard work and preparation for these performances. I also want to extend a special thank you to the AVA board who put in a tremendous amount of work to prepare for this conference. Your attention to detail and work ethic was greatly appreciated and a huge help to me.
Thankfully, we have rescheduled our Gospel Honor Choir for March 22 at First Baptist Huntsville. We will rehearse during the day and combine our concert with the All-State Elementary Choir that evening. We are thankful for the work of our directors and clinicians who were able to make this rescheduled event happen.
General Membership Updates
Thank you to everyone who helped our All-State auditions run so smoothly. I was extremely pleased with the number of students we had to register and audition. I am confident that we are returning to our pre-covid numbers with our auditionees. Your students were well-prepared and they should be proud to be a part of truly the best choral students in our state. We are still looking to streamline the audition process. If you are a member of our All-State teacher panel, please be looking for a survey about our audition process and new options for auditions.
Our All-State Show Choir auditions also went very smoothly this year. We had an increased number of auditionees for this event, and the judges were impressed with the quality of auditions. Thank you to Cameron Johnson for continuing to facilitate our All-State Show Choir. The All-State Show Choir Festival will be held at Hartselle High School on April 24-26.
All-State Choral Festival
I am looking forward to seeing you all at the All-State Choral Festival on February 29-March 2 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. I am excited for our conductors Eric Barnum, Julie Yu-Oppenheim, Jeffrey Benson, Alex Gartner, and D’Walla Simmons-Burke. This year, we are thrilled to have as our guests at convocation, the Miles College Choir under the direction of Mrs. Valerie Harris and the University fo Alabama Singers under the direction of Dr. Morgan Luttig.
A few reminders for our upcoming festival:
- All students who were selected for All-State must pay the registration fee, even if they choose not to participate in the festival.
- Please encourage students to review their music prior to the festival.
- The state high school basketball championships will be happening at the Legacy Arena during this time, so please be aware that parking will be even more difficult than usual.
Reminders
Deadlines for State Choral Performance Assessment and Solo and Ensemble are quickly approaching. Please be sure to register early in order to secure your preferred performance time. Please remember to check deadlines prior to registering so that no late fees are incurred.
I hope that your semester is going smoothly and is filled with beautiful music-making with your students. I look foward to seeing you at All-State. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, please contact me at hilen.wilson.ava@gmail.com.
Thank you, Hilen Wilson
