Welcome Back, AVA

  • August 1, 2025

As the school year begins anew, my hope is that you all are stepping back into your classrooms and rehearsal spaces with fresh energy, renewed purpose, and passion for nurturing young voices. Whether you’re a veteran director or just beginning your journey in choral music education, the Alabama Vocal Association stands ready to support, guide, and inspire you throughout the year. The AVA organization aims to be a vital partner in helping you and your students achieve success in the coming school year. As we look ahead to festivals, assessments, and All-State preparations, this is the perfect time to refocus our goals, build community, and elevate the choral experience for every student under our direction and care. Together, let’s make this school year the best one yet. 

Summer Board Meeting

The AVA board gathered in June to plan our organization’s annual events. The details for those events can be found on the AVA website. The board also discussed in earnest the addition of a sight singing component to the All-State choir audition process. These discussions revealed that while the addition of a sight singing component is, at its worst, highly divisive, it also has the potential to be a growth opportunity for our organization and for the students we serve as we seek to continue our commitment to the development of young musicians. 

The governing board’s proposal for next steps to add a sight singing component to the All-State audition process will be presented to the membership at the Fall Workshop. However, the recommendation will include the implementation of a trial year in the Fall of 2026 to gather data regarding the potential impact of a sight singing component. The results of the trial year will not impact students’ selection for the 2027 All-State choir. I look forward to presenting our proposal in full and working together to arrive at an implementation plan that reflects the mission of AVA and our core values as music educators.  

All-State Choir Auditions 

All-State Choir auditions will be held across the state from October 30th through November 7th. You can find details about the dates and locations for each district by going to the AVA Website or contacting your District Chair. Schools are not required to audition in their assigned district. Directors may choose the site that works best for their school. The registration deadline for All-State auditions is Friday, September 26th. Plan ahead and register early to avoid late fees and support district chairs as they create the most efficient schedule for each audition site.  

The new All-State audition process, implemented in the 2024-2025 school year, will continue this year with no changes. The 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 are required to learn ALL 6 selections prior to the audition.

Students may only audition for one All-State choir and must have original copies of all music and a completed adjudication form to audition. For more information about the standing rules and procedures of the All-State audition, see the 2024-2026 AVA Handbook linked on the AVA Website.   

2026 All-State Festival (NEW LOCATION)

The 2026 All-State Choir Festival will be held March 12-14, 2026 at Samford University. Samford University hosted the AVA All-State Choir Festival many times over the years and we are overjoyed to be back on their beautiful campus. The governing board conducted a site visit in June and are confident that the transition back to Samford is the right choice for our students and our organization. I’d like to express my deep thanks to the Dean of the School of the Arts, Dr. Lance Beaumont, and Dr. Joel Davis, Division of Music Chair, for their  hospitality and support of our partnership. Additional details will be forthcoming about the 2026 All-State Choir Festival as it pertains to the change in location. Please make sure you are on the AVA mailing list  so you don’t miss any important information.   

The governing board reviewed and approved all repertoire selections for the 2026 All-State festival. This year’s clinicians have selected repertoire that is as poignant and profound as it is fun and challenging. For the first time in the history of the All-State festival, the repertoire will include a commissioned work to be performed by the MS Treble Choir. The 2026 All-State clinicians are:

  • MS Mixed: Dr. Josh Palkki  
  • MS Treble: Jessica Edelbrock
  • HS TTBB: Gabrielle Pierle
  • HS SSAA: Dr. Anthony Trecek-King
  • HS SATB: Dr. Anton Armstrong

More information is available about the clinicians on the Alabama Vocal Association website.

Fall Workshop 

The Fall Workshop will take place on Friday, September 5th, in Fairhope, AL at 3 Circle Church. I encourage everyone to attend the 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 Alabama Vocal Association. Attendees can expect to engage in repertoire roundtables, teacher-led interest sessions, and district-specific breakout sessions. Dr. Jessica Napoles, Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of North Texas, will be our headlining clinician for the day. Dr. Napoles will present sessions on teacher burnout and classroom management as well as a developmental choral reading session. Don’t miss this wonderful professional development and networking opportunity. Please see the AVA Website for more information about registration and lodging. The pre-registration deadline for the Fall Workshop is August 29th. 

AVA Governing Board 

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. 

2025 – 2026 AVA Events 

Please visit the AVA website: alabamavocalassociation.org to find the details for all events. 

I hope you have a productive and smooth start to your school year. See you at Fall Workshop!