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ala breve The Official Publication of the Alabama Music Educators Association
February/March 2024
Scenes from the 2024 AMEA Conference That Wasn’t
www.myamea.org
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DEPARTMENT MUSIC 2023 AUDIOF TIONS go.uab.edu/music
FOR ADMISSION AND SCHOLARSHIP APPLICAT IONS
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AMEA Governing Board 2023-2024 President Dr. Rob Lyda Cary Woods Elementary School 715 Sanders Street Auburn, AL 36830 334-663-0898 president@myamea.org
Immediate Past President David Raney Sparkman High School 2616 Jeff Road Harvest, AL 35749 256-837-0331 draney@madison.k12.al.us
President, AOA Joseph Lee PO Box 2532 Huntsville, AL 35804 (615) 397-4490 aoa_president@myamea.org
President-Elect Dr. Phil Wilson Ogletree Elementary School 737 Ogletree Road Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 538-9679 president_elect@myamea.org
Recording Secretary Heather Holmes Oak Mountain Middle School 5650 Cahaba Valley Road Birmingham AL 35242 (205) 682-5210 recording_secretary@myamea.org
President, AVA Hilen Wilson 6315 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive Cottondale, AL 35453 (205) 454-3067 ava_president@myamea.org
President, AMEA Collegiate Matthew Suit msuit@troy.edu
Industry Representative Joey Harbison Gadsden Music Company 607 Broad Street PO Box 132 Gadsden, AL 35901 205-910-2622 jmharbison@aol.com
Executive Director Dr. Russell (Rusty) Logan 2020 Janabrooke Lane Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 663-1702 executive_director@myamea.org
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AMEA Collegiate Advisor Dr. Meghan Merciers University of North Alabama UNA Box 5040 142 Music Building Florence, AL 35632-0001 (256) 765-4518 mmerciers@una.edu
Editor, Ala Breve Garry Taylor 1600 Manor Dr. NE Cullman, AL 35055 (256) 636-2754 editor@myamea.org
Treasurer/Registrar Pat Stegall AMEA Registration PO Box 3385 Muscle Shoals, AL 35661 treasurer_registrar@myamea.org
President, ABA Lori Hart Guntersville High School 14227 US 431 Guntersville, AL 35976 (334) 797-1778 lorihart@gcboe.net
President, ELEM/GEN Alicia Luttrell Old Shell Road School 3160 Heather St. Mobile, AL 36607 (251) 221-1557 aluttrell@mcpss.com
President, HED Division Dr. Carly Johnson Alabama State University Department of Music 915 S. Jackson Street Montgomery, AL. 36104 (334) 229-4341 cjjohnson@alasu.edu
Alabama Department of Education Arts Education Specialist Andy Meadows 50 North Ripley Street Montgomery, Alabama 36104 (334) 694-4768 ameadows@ALSDE.edu
February/March 2024
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Ala Breve is published four times a year (August, October, February & May) by the Alabama Music Educators Association and printed by Hardwick and Son Printing in Dothan, Alabama. Bulk rate postage paid at Dothan, Alabama.
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ADVERTISING & COPY DEADLINES August/September (Back to School issue): July 15 October/November (Conference issue): September 15 February.March (All-State issue:) January 15 May/June (Summer issue:) April 15
Unless otherwise indicated, permission is granted to NAfME members to reprint articles for educational purposes. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of AMEA or the Editor. All announcements & submissions are subject to editorial judgement/revision.The Alabama Music Educators Association is a state unit of NAfME:
The National Association for Music Education, a voluntary, nonprofit organization representing all phases of music education in schools, colleges, universities, and teacher-education institutions. Active NAfME/AMEA membership is open to all persons engaged in music teaching or other music education work.
Editor & Advertising Manager: Garry Taylor 1600 Manor Dr. NE Cullman, AL 35055 (256) 636-2754 editor@myamea.org
Departments... 7 .........................Registrar 8 ........................President 10 .....................Elem/Gen 12.........................cNAfME 14 ..............................AVA 18.................................AOA 22 ..............................ABA 28..............................HED ala breve
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AMEA Governing Board Directory AVA All-State Schedule AVA All-State Clinicians AOA All-State Photos Industry Members ABA All-State Schedule ABA All-State Clinicians Teacher Profile: Stephen Cook AMEA Election: Meet the Candidates AMEA Awards A Reflection of Literature Selection... by Dakota Bromley In Memoriam Band Directors March in Macy’s Parade by Holly Connell Ensemble Culture and Rehearsals.... by Hays Bunch A Practical Framework for Developing Score Study Habits by Mike Guzman AMEA Showcase Photos Jazz Literature Reviews and Rehearsal Techniques by Jazz Collective Band Music Reviews by Jeremy Stovall General Music Reviews by Jason Jackson Schedule of Events
Advertisers... Alabama State University.................................40 Arts Music Shop, Inc ..........................back cover Birmingham Southern College...........................9 Blount Awards..................................................14 Gadsden Music Company ................................58 Jacksonville State University ...........................20 John M. Long School of Music (Troy) ............49 Marion Military Institute..................................27
Music is Elementary.........................................48 Music USA/Super Holiday Tours ......................6 UAB Music ........................................................2 University of Alabama School of Music............3 University of Montevallo .................................63 University of South Alabama Music ................62 William Carey University ................................13
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Pat Stegall, AMEA Registrar
From the Registrar Badges, Ready and Waiting Imagine preparing over 1000 badges for the 2024 AMEA Professional Development Conference only to face the force of Mother Nature. As the Registrar for AMEA, it is my job to make sure all attendees are registered, paid, and have the appropriate membership. We were through with the pre-registered, FAME, All-State Jazz
Band members and Vendor’s badges by 4 pm. on Tuesday, January 16th. The snow and ice were not cooperative, but we were ready to head to Huntsville just in case. Even though it was disappointing to have to box the materials and store them away, I was proud of the decision the AMEA board made in consideration for the safety of our conference attendees and performers. At this time, I have sent
refunds to those schools that paid by check, and we are working to assure anyone that used PayPal will be issued a credit back to the card they used. I thank those who donated their fees and encourage those who can do so to consider making a donation to support the financial well-being of AMEA. I look forward to next year, and I hope that you do, too! PS
AMEA Presidents - Past to Present 1946 Yale H. Ellis 1948 Walter A. Mason 1950 Vernon Skoog 1952 John J. Hoover 1954 Lamar Triplett 1956 Carleton K. Butler 1958 Mort Glosser 1960 Wilbur Hinton 1962 Lacey Powell, Jr. 1964 G. Truman Welch 1966 Jerry Countryman 1968 Floyd C. McClure 1970 Jerry Bobo 1972 Frances P. Moss 1974 George Hammett 1975 Frances P. Moss 1976 S. J. Allen 1978 W. Frank McArthur 1980 Paul Hall 1982 Lacey Powell, Jr. ala breve
1984 Johnny Jacobs 1986 Merilyn Jones 1988 Ronald D. Hooten 1990 Ken Williams 1992 Dianne Johnson 1994 James K. Simpson 1996 Johnnie Vinson 1998 Michael Meeks 2000 John McAphee, Jr. 2002 Tony Pike 2004 Becky Rodgers 2006 John Baker 2008 Pat Stegall 2010 Steve McLendon 2012 Sara Womack 2014 Carl Hancock 2016 Susan Smith 2018 Greg Gumina 2020 David Raney 2022 Rob Lyda 7
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Dr. Rob Lyda AMEA President
You Are AMEA!
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f I’m completely honest, I’ve had a difficult time thinking of what this article should cover. In normal years, this article would cover the great successes of our conference. We would all glow about the fantastic performances, the thoughtprovoking sessions, and the time shared with like-minded colleagues. However, this year is different. We are not left with fond memories, but merely our wonderings of what could’ve been. Many of you know that I enjoy spending my limited free time in library archives researching the past. Learning about the past always gives me great comfort and clarity. I visited the Auburn University Archives the Sunday after we decided to cancel the conference to examine the Ala Breve from the early years of our Association. While there wasn’t a full set of every volume of the Ala Breve, I did gain an appreciation and perspective from our past. The very first issue of Ala. breve (original spelling) was published in November 1955. The president of AMEA was Lamar Triplett. I will be honest; I was taken aback when I saw the first president’s column in the Ala. breve. You see, I have heard many stories about Mr. Triplett because Mr. Triplett was my Dad’s junior high school band director. Actually, Mr. Triplett is one of the people who encouraged my Dad to become a music educator. It was also Mr. Triplett who encouraged AMEA to host a conference. “To knit our organization closer, reach all phases of music education, a meeting of all music educator personnel, elementary through college level, with clinics for all levels, performing groups at all levels, and panels for discussion of all our mutual problems, would greatly increase our understanding of each other, and give administrators a better understanding of our values in the teaching of music and most of all the relationship of music to the overall educational curriculum in the state” (Triplett, 1956, p. 1). During the early years of AMEA, the 8
conference was held in conjunction with AllState. In fact, All-State was held for all the divisions during the same three days in March at the University of Alabama. AllState was the cornerstone of the AMEA conference. During the conference, there were meetings and clinics for all divisions and a Friday evening banquet with a dinner and dancing. Don’t worry – I’m not suggesting we bring back the Friday night dancing! I continued thumbing through the old issues of Ala. breve. I smiled at the many pictures and columns from music education legends in AMEA’s history. I loved seeing pictures of Dr. Ed Cleino and Dr. Lacey Powell in their early years; they were both so kind to me as an early career music teacher. I laughed at the many impassioned pleas from the membership chairperson for people to join AMEA and MENC. It was fascinating to learn about the early stages and implementation of hosting the first conference. It’s important to note that AMEA existed for almost 8-10 years before a conference was hosted. Sadly, the archives do not have a complete set of the Ala Breve. I also checked other university’s holdings – no university has a complete set of the Ala Breve. If you have issues of the Ala Breve from the 1960s1990s, we would love to scan them and place them on AMEA’s new website that will launch this summer. My journey into our Association’s past ended with the April 1960 issue. Of course, we can view the last 19 years of Ala Breve on the AMEA website. However, I would have loved to see more from the 60s-90s. I had more questions to be answered. I wanted to know when Ala. breve became Ala Breve. How did the Association handle canceling the conference in the early 90s? I would have loved to see the growth of our conference over the decades. Although we often refer to AMEA as the three-day conference we attend in January, AMEA is more than just a conference. For me, AMEA is a collection of hard-working
music educators, devoted music education supporters and advocates, and students eager to make music. AMEA is an organization made up of people. I agree with an editorial published in the second issue of the Ala. breve, “Clearly the only objective of A.M.E.A. is to advance the cause of music education through a cooperative organization of musicians and music educators…Come on in. We can rise to such lofty heights and make such beautiful music…TOGETHER”. (Ala breve, 1956, p. 5). For me, AMEA has always been about the people. I’m often asked why people should join AMEA and NAfME and my response has always stayed the same – the people. My life has been enriched because of the people I have met as a musician and music educator. It would be disingenuous for me not to use this President’s Column to recognize the fabulous work our people have been doing. Even though we didn’t have a conference, so much work went into planning the conference. The AMEA staff – Dr. Rusty Logan, Garry Taylor, Pat Stegall, and David Raney completed countless hours of work before the decision was made to cancel the conference. In addition, they all have done countless hours of work after the decision was made to cancel the conference. In addition, Joey Harbison has been invaluable with our industry members and helping Rusty with the exhibitors. AMEA would not be as strong of an Association without our hardworking staff! Thank you, Rusty, Garry, Pat, and David for your dedication to AMEA. I hope you will all take a moment to thank your division presidents. They spent hours planning a fantastic conference for all of you. They had to witness countless dreams and plans dissipate with one board motion and vote. Many of them have also had to deal with the herculean task of rescheduling All-States, honor groups, and performing ensembles to ensure the students still receive the benefit of AMEA performances. Thank you, Lori, Joe, Hilen, Alicia, Meghan, Carly, and Sarah for serving your divisions and AMEA with integrity.
February/March 2024
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In addition, Heather Holmes served all of us with grace and a calming presence. Thank you, Heather, for your gentle spirit, perspective, and kindness during this time. I have been blessed to be friends with our President-elect for over 25 years. Phil has provided me with perspective, guidance, and friendship that is immeasurable. Thank you, Phil, for being the calm and reassuring voice throughout this experience. I am blessed by your friendship, and I know AMEA will be blessed by your leadership. I want to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we had to make difficult decisions and deal with the ramifications of our decisions. I’m thankful for the many calls, texts, and messages of support for the AMEA Board. Thank you to our clinicians who prepared fantastic sessions for all of us. Most of all, thank you to our directors and students who were set to perform at the conference. I know what a disappointment canceling the conference was for all of you, however, I have been so
encouraged by your individual communities’ support. It has brought me great joy to see “AMEA Conference” concerts happening throughout our state. As I said earlier, AMEA is more than a conference – you brought AMEA to the people of Alabama. Thank you for ensuring that the music of the AMEA conference still happened. Earlier, I said my Ala Breve archive hunt ended in 1960, but that’s not entirely true. While the archives did end in 1960, they picked back up in March of 2001. As I thumbed through the March 2001 issue of Ala Breve I saw a familiar face – mine. There on page 10, was a fresh-faced student teacher that had their final article as the cMENC state president. As I sat and stared at my picture in the Ala Breve, I couldn’t help but be humbled and grateful that I am part of this incredible organization. Although I may have some age on me and a lot of musicteaching battle scars, my words from 2001 still ring true in 2024.
have served you as President this year. You all have allowed me to spread my wings and see the music education world from a different perspective. I look forward to joining what I feel is the most noble profession, teaching. On top of that, teaching music. Through music, we have the opportunity to teach children how to create something intimate and self-rewarding. We must always look for ways to move on and ever upward towards excellence. Never settle for just sliding by, and never give up!” (Lyda, 2001, p. 10). We must remember that AMEA is more than a conference. AMEA is an organization of impassioned people. We are people who work each day to provide and ensure the children of Alabama have access to music education. TOGETHER we can change the lives of students through the power of music. I’m eternally grateful for you and your work in our state. Thank you, friends, for allowing me to be part of AMEA’s journey in the past, the present, and into the future.
“I am very appreciative and feel fortunate to
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Alicia Luttrell - President, Elementary/General Division
Sensational Elementary Music Education Through the Winter Doldrums The beginning of the school year is such an exciting time for me. August rolls around, and as comfortable as I am with my relaxed summer schedule, I get pumped about starting a new school year. I thrive with new students, schedules, and programs. I get enthused about planning new lessons and activities for my students. I usually hit the ground running with each grade level, making music, singing songs, and playing instruments. We are mastering all those music standards. By Thanksgiving, reality sets in, and I start to recognize the challenges I will face for the remainder of the school year. Come December, I am just surviving until winter break. My New Year’s resolutions might get me focused on my students again, but I quickly begin to feel the winter doldrums setting in. Our counselors and health care professionals often remind us that this temporary feeling of lethargy and melancholy is the result of shorter days disrupting our circadian rhythms. Either way, I struggle to keep things engaging for all students in my classroom as I feel the school year slow to a snail’s pace. 10
This year was particularly gloomy with the cancellation of our annual conference. Every year, I look forward to the conference. I enjoy seeing old colleagues, meeting new friends, and hearing all the amazing concerts. I don’t know about you, but I need this time every year. I find it essential to my professional growth and to my ability to “make it” through the rest of the school year. I need fresh, new ideas and lesson plans. I need new songs and inspiration to get my brain back in creative mode. How are we going to “make it” this year without our conference? Rest assured, your elementary/general board members are hard at work developing some upcoming professional development opportunities for us all. Stay tuned for more information, and start planning now for next year’s conference. In the meantime, I asked a few of our elementary division board members to share some of their favorite music lessons based on children’s literature. I hope we can inspire you with a little something to bring your classroom out of the winter doldrums.
One of my favorite children’s books is Mortimer by Robert Munsch. It is the story of a young boy who resists the attempts of his parents, siblings, and even the police to put him to bed by singing a song. I use the book to teach first grade-students high and low on Orff instruments. In the book, as each person (or group of people) goes upstairs or downstairs to scold Mortimer, we hear Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, and students play going upstairs or downstairs or their instruments. Students also enjoy banging a drum when someone shuts the door, and they love repeating “Mortimer, be quiet,” in different voices. We sing Mortimer’s song together throughout the book. I February/March 2024
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composed a tune for Mortimer’s song on mi, sol, la. You could compose your tune using any pitches or rhythms you need to teach your students. This book is fun for all grade levels and can be used to teach many different music standards.
their knowledge of the modes, and practice their improvisational skills on the barred instruments. From Jason Jackson, Daphne East Elementary:
From Melissa McIntyre, Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park:
One of my favorite books for my classroom is Fortunately by Remy Charlip. I use it to reinforce major and minor modes to 3rd-grade students. In the book, “Ned” receives an invitation to a surprise party. The rest of the book goes back and forth between Ned’s adventures and misadventures - good thing/bad thing - to his arrival at the party. The pages even go back and forth between colored and black and white to help reinforce the concept. After reading the story and discussing the concepts, the class moves to the barred instruments for some improvisational work. I set the xylophones to C Major pentatonic and the metallophones to d minor pentatonic. We read the book again, and at the end of each page, students improvise for 8 beats on the instrument that corresponds with the happy or sad page of the book. My students love the absolute ridiculousness of the story, getting the chance to apply ala breve
Last year, I paired The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka with an ostinato piece for Orff instruments. This book is a retelling of the traditional “Three Little Pigs” from the perspective of the wolf who needs a cup of sugar to complete his dear old granny’s birthday cake. He goes around asking his neighbors (the three pigs) what they can spare. The only problem is that he also has a cold coming on. My 4th and 5th graders integrated this story into the piece “Three Cool Pigs & a Big Bad Wolf ” by Jeff Kriske & Randy DeLelles found in their book, Strike it Rich. The piece is written for xylophones and has a light swing with a minor tonality and cool harmonies that students don’t typically hear on Orff instruments. There are 4 ostinati, one for each character in the story. We read the story and brought in each ostinato as we got to its character, so the entire piece was complete by the end of the story.
I use the book The Drummer Who Lost His Beat by Stephanie Bloom each year with K-2. The book is a fantastic story of turning failure into success. The story is engaging and exciting, illustrations in this book are multicultural, and it references several different musical styles. There are several standards addressed in the lesson when I use this book, but my focus is connecting, anchor standard 11. Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
From Devin Lacy, Julian Harris Elementary: 11
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Matthew Suit, President, Alabama cNAfME
Collegiate Transition and Chapter Highlights Dr. Meghan Merciers, Advisor Presidential Farewell Dear Alabama cNAfME Members, My time as the Alabama cNAfME President has come to a close in a much different fashion than I imagined it. I am sad that I did not get to say a formal goodbye at the conference, so I would like to take a moment to do so. Serving as the ALcNAfME President was one of the greatest honors of my lifetime. I learned more than I ever imagined I would, did more than I thought I could and even traveled further than I thought I might. My time on the state board will define my career as a music educator. I have learned the importance of advocacy, the inner workings of our wonderful state organization, what it means to be a true leader, and so much more. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for this experience. Thank you to the rest of the AMEA Governing Board for teaching me and letting me be a voice in our organization. Thank you to cNAfME for allowing me to learn how to lead. Thank you to Dr. Merciers for guiding me and for building me up. Thank you to my fellow executive board members for helping me make my crazy dreams come true. I am proud to say I served on the ALcNAfME board and cannot wait to see what the future holds for me. Once again, thank all of you so very much!
We will also be having our General Business Meeting and holding elections for the Alabama cNAfME State Executive Board. It is time to choose a new President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. This is a great way to serve and experience a leadership role at the state level. If you are interested in running, please attend the Summit. Stay tuned for the Zoom invite on Instagram @cnafme_al.
University of Alabama Service Project In spring 2023, the University of Alabama cNAfME Executive Board became aware of a need at University Place Elementary School. In most Tuscaloosa City Schools, music teachers use Quaver Ed, a technology-based curriculum, to guide instruction. University Place Elementary School’s music teacher teaches Quaver’s ukulele unit instead of recorder. Due to underfunding, only about half of the class can hold an instrument during instructional time. The other students use cardboard with hot-glued toothpicks affixed to them instead of actual instruments. When the UA cNAfME chapter learned of this inequity, they made it their annual goal to raise the funds to buy University Place a complete classroom set of instruments. The chapter planned and hosted a formal dance for the School of Music
-Sarah Hicks Virtual Winter Summit Even though AMEA was canceled this year, we have another opportunity to meet. The Alabama cNAfME State Executive Board will host a virtual summit on Zoom on February 17, 2024, at 2 p.m. Distinguished and experienced educators Will Panter and Dr. Mary Land will present “The Mentorship Continuum: Continuing Growth in Students & Self,” and Dr. Sarah Burns and Blair Callaway will share their expertise in “Professional Collaboration between Cooperating Teachers and Student Interns.” This will be an excellent opportunity for extra time with a few of our clinicians selected from the AMEA Conference.
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to accomplish this goal. Executive Board members secured several community sponsors who provided food, decorations, and lighting for the event. Students in every area of the music building, including choir, orchestra, marching band, music therapy, music education, and music performance, bought tickets to attend the event and support the cause. On September 29, 2023, over 100 students filled the band hall to celebrate and support University Place Elementary School.
The University of Alabama cNAfME chapter at the formal dance
The music students of University Place Elementary School with UA cNAfME chapter President Sarah Hicks
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The UA chapter raised over $2,000 to support Tuscaloosa-area elementary school music programs. Due to the event’s success, they not only purchased ukuleles for University Place Elementary School but also plan to support Walker Elementary, which desperately needs classroom instruments, too. The ALcNAfME State Executive Board is proud of the University of Alabama chapter and the contributions made to their community. They are a great example of collegiate chapters’ work all over the state.
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Hilen Wilson President, Alabama Vocal Association
AVA UPDATES 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
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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 wellprepared 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 YuOppenheim, 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 February/March 2024
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2024 Alabama All-State Choral Festival Schedule Thursday, February 29, 2024 12:15-12:45pm
Student Registration in Assigned Rehearsal Rooms MS Treble Rehearsal, North Meeting Rooms G-I MS Mixed, North Meeting Rooms C-E HS SSA, Forum A-B HS TTBB, Forum Theater HS SATB, Forum G-I
12:15-2:00pm
Director Registration, Forum C
1:00-4:30pm
Rehearsal, assigned rehearsal rooms
4:30-7:00pm
Dinner Break
7:00-9:30pm
Rehearsal, assigned rehearsal rooms
11:00pm
Curfew
Friday, March 1, 2024 8:30-9:45am
MS Treble Rehearsal, North Meeting Rooms G-I MS Mixed Dress Rehearsal, Concert Hall HS SSA, Forum A-B HS TTBB, Forum Theater HS SATB, Forum G-I
8:45-9:45am
AVA General Membership Meeting, North Meeting Rooms C-E
10:00-11:15am
MS Mixed Rehearsal, North Meeting Rooms C-E MS Treble Dress Rehearsal, Concert Hall HS SSA, Forum A-B (cont.) HS TTBB, Forum Theater (cont.) HS SATB, Forum G-I (cont.)
11:15am-1:15pm
Lunch Break
1:15-2:15pm
Convocation, Concert Hall
2:30-4:15pm
MS Treble, North Meeting Rooms G-I (final MS rehearsal) MS Mixed, North Meeting Rooms C-E (final MS rehearsal) SSA Rehearsal, Forum A-B TTBB Rehearsal, Forum Theater SATB Dress Rehearsal, Concert Hall
4:30-6:00pm
SSA Dress Rehearsal, TTBB Rehearsal, Forum Theater (cont.) SATB Rehearsal, Forum G-I
7:00pm
Call Time for Middle School Concert
7:30pm
Middle School Concert, BJCC Concert Hall
Saturday, March 2, 2024 9:45-11:15am 11:15am 12:00pm ala breve
SSA Warm-Up, Forum A-B TTBB Dress Rehearsal, Concert Hall SATB Warm-Up, Forum G-I Doors Open to Audience High School Concert 15
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2024 AVA ALL-STATE CLINICIANS HS SATB: Eric Barnum
HS SSAA: Julie Yu
of phrasing, confident musicianship and fully supported tone.”
A conductor and composer, Eric William Barnum continues to passionately seek new ground in the choral field. Working with choirs of all kinds, his collaborative leitmotif endeavors to provide intensely meaningful experiences for singers and audiences.
Dr. Julie Yu (She/Her/Hers) is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University and the Artistic Director of Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma’s premier symphony chorus.
Dr. Benson made his international conducting debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the SJSU Choraliers in Limerick, Ireland, and he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in 2015. Choirs under his direction have been invited to perform with the Rolling Stones, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra and the Skywalker Orchestra.
Barnum is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and previously, the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. He holds a DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington under the direction of Dr. Geoffrey Boers. He has an advanced degree in conducting from Minnesota State University, primary study with Dr. David Dickau, as well as BAs in Composition and Vocal Performance from Bemidji State University. He has appeared as a conductor across the United States and the international stage, and has worked with some of the most innovative minds in the choral field. His compositional voice and vision continue to gain popularity around the globe with performances from choirs internationally. He composes for choral ensembles of all types, from professional to youth choirs, and has received numerous awards and prestigious grants such as a Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship and a McKnight Foundation Grant. He has also held residencies with such ensembles ast Choral Arts (Seattle, WA), Cantus (Trondheim, Norway), The Rose Ensemble (St. Paul, MN), Kantorei (Denver, CO), Magnum Chorum (Minneapolis, MN), Coro Vocal Artists (Tuscon, AZ), as well as with many high school and collegiate choirs.
She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Oklahoma State University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas. Before joining OCU and Canterbury Voices, she taught at Norman North High School in Oklahoma, San José State University, and Kansas State University.
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She has given presentations, conducted, and/or her choirs have performed for state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, and the European Music Educators Association. She is the past president of the Southwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association and served as an International Conducting Exchange Fellow to Kenya in 2019. HS TTBB: Jeffrey Benson Jeffrey Benson is currently Director of Choral Activities at San José State University in San José, California. The Washington Post hails his choirs for singing “with an exquisite blend, subtlety
Dr. Benson is a published composer and arranger with Colla Voce Music and Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and is editor of the Jeffrey Benson Choral Series with Gentry Publications. He is also the Artistic Director of Peninsula Cantare, a community chorus based in Palo Alto. Benson received his Masters degree and his Doctorate in Choral Conducting/Music Education from The Florida State University and his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from New York University. MS MIXED: Alex Gartner Alex Gartner is the Artistic & Executive Director of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus (PCC). Under his leadership since 2016, PCC’s programs have expanded to include 15 unique choirs, exciting summer camps, and numerous other initiatives which spread music throughout the community through innovative means of performance, creativity, and collaboration alongside service-based nonprofit organizations. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Gartner previously served as February/March 2024
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the Assistant Director of the Cincinnati Youth Choir, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music (CCM). He is an active composer, clinician, and conductor, and his choirs have performed in esteemed concert halls across the United States and internationally in China, Italy, and Ireland. A passionate educator, Gartner is a proponent of teaching people through music, a philosophy which he advocates as a presenter for many local, regional, and national conferences and professional development workshops across the country. He is the co-author of The Business of Choir: A Choral Leader’s Guide for Organizational Growth, a resource for choir directors who seek to expand the scope and scale of their choral programs. Mr. Gartner earned his Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida, where he conducted research to identify successful methods to develop musicianship within the performancedriven environments among successful and respected children’s and youth choirs. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he graduated summa cum laude and was the recipient of the 2012 John Leman Award for Outstanding Choral Leadership. He also holds a certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. Mr. Gartner has been recognized by Pensacola’s Inweekly as a Rising Star in 2017 and as Best Community Leader in 2023. MS TREBLE: D’Walla SimmonsBurke D’Walla SimmonsBurke has held teaching positions in Georgia, South Carolina and presently at Winston-Salem State University ala breve
(North Carolina) where she is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies for the Department of Music. Maestra Simmons-Burke is the founder of four of the five choral ensembles currently existing within the Music Department at Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem State University Singing Divas (renamed – Amazwi Treble); Schola Cantorum; Complesso Voce’ and the renowned Burke Singers). The fifth choral ensemble, the Winston-Salem State University Choir (aka WSSU Singing Rams) is one of the first student organizations, founded at the university. The WSSU Choir has performed with the Gateways Symphony Orchestra; Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra, D’Vorak Symphony Orchestra, Colour of Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, the New England Symphony Orchestra and is well sought after for its performances of master choral works (i.e…Haydn’s Creation; Handel’s Messiah; Faure’s Requiem; Rossini’s Stabat Mater; Orff ’s Carmina Burana; Mozart’s Requiem; Berlioz’s Te Deum, etc.…); spirituals; social justice and world musics. Maestra Simmons-Burke has made several conducting and singing appearances on national stages. Recently, she appeared at Carnegie Hall to conduct Dr. Rosephanye Powell’s The Cry of Jeremiah (April 9, 2023). She has also performed internationally with her choral ensembles and as a guest conductor/lecturer (Prague, Czech Republic; Nassau, Bahamas; Accra, Cape Coast & Kumasi, Ghana - West Africa; and Pilanesberg, Cape Town and Johannesburg – South Africa). Maestra Simmons-Burke has led The 105 Voices of History Concert Choir as a National Conductor (The John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center), Nassau, Bahamas and was the National Choral Coordinator along with being one of three conductors who lead the 105 Voices of History Concert Choir in their inaugural performance at the Grand Ole Opry. She is a recipient of the 105 Voices of History Kennedy Center Performing Arts Award.
Under Simmons-Burke’s baton, her choral ensembles have performed for such regional, national and international dignitaries as President George W. Bush; Kweisi Mfume; Susan Taylor; former North Carolina Governor James Hunt; Maya Angelou; Dick Gregory; Patti Austin; Harry Belafonté; Madame President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Pope John Paul II, to name a few. Her exceptional and diverse vocal and choral pedagogies are continuously demonstrated through the outstanding students she has produced. As a result, Simmons-Burke has been the recipient of several teaching awards such as the Winston-Salem State University Patterson Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, Winston-Salem State University Cedric Rodney Service Award and The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts 105 Voices of History National Conductor’s Award. D’Walla is also the recipient of many community service and performance awards for her national achievements in music. Simmons-Burke is listed in Outstanding Young Women of America and has held memberships in many other organizations such as the Music Educators National Conference; the American Choral Directors Association; the National Association of African American Studies; the National Association for the Study and Performance of African-American Music; National Association of Negro Musicians; The Intercollegiate Music Association; the National Associations for African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Latino Studies; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Moles, and The Links, Inc. Maestra Simmons-Burke has made numerous guest appearances as a conductor and adjudicator for high school and middle school All-State/AllCounty festivals, collegiate choral festivals, and workshops. She is often sought after as a sacred music and/or social justice music clinician/lecturer and soprano.
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Joseph Lee- President, Alabama Orchestra Association
AOA Updates I am so proud to inform you that the 2024 North and South Region Orchestra and All-State Orchestra Festivals were an enormous success. The North and South Region Festivals were held in Huntsville and Greenville, respectively, January 6-7, and the All-State Orchestra Festival was held on the campus of the University of Alabama, February 8-11. Our conductors for the North Region Festival were William Waag (Santa Fe Youth Orchestra) and Andrea Dawson (Middle TN State University), and our conductors for the South Region Festival were Dan Allcott (TN Tech University) and Susan Mullen (Murfreesboro Symphony and the Webb School). At the 2024 AOA All-State Orchestra Festival, the Festival Orchestra was led by Mr. Robin Fountain. Originally from the United Kingdom, Mr. Fountain joined us from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Mr. Fountain is the Emeritus Professor of Orchestral Studies and Conducting at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He has also served as the Music Director of the Southwest Michigan Symphony and the Williamsport Symphony in Pennsylvania. Mr. Fountain was also my primary conducting teacher and remains a close friend and mentor today. It was incredibly special for me to witness my students, and students from across Alabama, studying with, and learning from, my mentor. Festival Orchestra Robin Fountain, conductor Danza No. 4 – Lodovic Lamothe/orch. John Jost Along the White Cliffs of Epes – Timothy Amalavage-Smith 2024 AOA Composition Contest Winning Submission Polovstian Dances from “Prince Igor” – Alexander Borodin Berceuse and Finale from “Firebird Suite (1919) – Igor Stravinsky The Sinfonia was led by Dr. César Leal. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Leal joined us from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he is the Director of Orchestral Activities at the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College. There, Dr. Leal also serves as a professor of musicology. Sinfonia César Leal, conductor The American Scene, Suite No. 4, “The Far West” – William Grant Still Danzón No. 2 – Arturo Márquez Tolú – Lucho Bermudez/orch. Ricardo Hernández Mayorga Remaining Important Dates - 2023-2024 Academic Year Orchestra Music Performance Assessment: April 5, 2024 Thompson High School | Alabaster, Alabama 18
The Consort String Orchestra was led by Mrs. Jennifer Drake. Mrs. Drake joined us from Boise, Idaho, where she serves as the Music Director of the Serenata Orchestra and the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestras. She is also the founder of the Idaho Viola Camp and the CoArtistic Director of the Idaho Orchestra Institute.
Consort String Orchestra Jennifer Drake, conductor Symphony No. 11 – Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de SaintGeorges/arr. Reynard Burns The Café Suite – Catherine McMichael Song for UhmMa – Traditional Korean Folk Song/arr. Soo Han Dance of the Comedians from “The Bartered Bride” – Bedrich Smetana/arr. Louis Bergonzi Both of the Regional Orchestra Festivals and the All-State Orchestra Festival hosted nearly 200 young musicians from all corners of Alabama. These students are the cream of the crop, not only among young musicians in our state, but among young people in our state. They are among Alabama’s finest young musicians, scholars, seekers, dreamers, and future leaders. Undoubtedly, they will shape their present and future communities with their work ethic and their dedication to their artform. I am grateful to have the opportunity to announce to you that orchestral music education is vibrant and so alive in many areas of Alabama, but I must also tell you that, at this moment, approximately one-third of Alabama schools do not have a music teacher. We have much work left to do, my friends. 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. You can help us by spreading the word about the work we are doing to your community, colleagues, friends, family, 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. While we celebrate the incredible work of the students that were able to participate, I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the children that were not present due to lack of resources and opportunity. Members of the AOA and beyond, thank you for all that you do to ensure that orchestral music thrives in the State of Alabama. May we strive 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 February/March 2024
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AOA All-State Photos
AOA Executive Committee 2022-2024
Consort String Orchestra led by Jennifer Drake Festival Orchestra Low Brass Section with AOA President Joseph Lee
All-State Orchestra Participants from Huntsville Youth Orchestra with AOA President Joseph Lee All-State Orchestra Participants from Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra with Carlos Izcaray, Alabama Symphony Conductor
AOA President Joseph Lee with Felicia Lett, Southwest District Chair, Honored for 24 Years of Service
Matthias Ford, son of Jordan Kirchner Ford, AOA President-elect Festival Orchestra Rehearsal with Robin Fountain ala breve
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AMEA Industry/Institutional Membership 2023-24 AMEA would like to express appreciation to the following partners who have joined AMEA in our efforts to promote music education in Alabama. Please support these industry/institutional members who support you as music educators!
Alabama Symphony Orchestra
3621 Sixth Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222 https://www.alabamasymphony.org/
Auburn University Department of Music
132 Goodwin Music Building, Auburn, AL 36849https://cla.auburn.edu/music/
American Travel Consulting
P.O. Box 750, Albertville, AL 35950 https://www.americantravelconsulting.com/
Collins Hornworks
5256 Willow Way, Birmingham, AL 35242 https://collinshornworks.com/
Fink’s Music
1604 Mockingbird Ct. Unit #A, Florence, AL 35630 https://finksmusicschool.com/
Gadsden Music Company
607 Broad St., PO Box 132, Gadsden, AL 35901 https://gadsdenmusic.com/
Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center
910 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36849 https://goguecenter.auburn.edu/
Group Travel Network
5401 S. Kirkman Rd. Suite 530, Orlando, FL 32819 https://grouptravelnetwork.com/
J.W. Pepper of Atlanta
9053 Riverside Parkway, Lithia Springs, GA 30122 https://www.jwpepper.com/
Marchmaster
14 Lake Point Drive, Dahlonega, GA 30533 https://marchmaster.com/
Sight Reading Factory
1321 Upland Drive, Suite 12621, Houston, TX 77043 https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/
Southern Performances
427 Appollo Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL 36542 https://southernperformances.com/
Super Holiday Tours
116 Gatlin Avenue, Orlando, FL 32806 https://superholiday.com/
The University of Alabama School of Music 810 2nd Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 https://music.ua.edu/
The University of North Alabama
UNA Box 5040, Florence, AL 35632 https://www.una.edu/schoolofthearts
The University of South Alabama Department of Music 5751 USA Drive South, Mobile, AL 36688 https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/music/
Troy University John M. Long School of Music 112 Long Hall, Troy, AL 36082 https://www.troy.edu ala breve
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Lori Hart - President, Alabama Bandmasters Association
ABA Updates I am writing this article, the morning after the decision was made to cancel our AMEA Professional Development Conference. I was looking forward to celebrating the performances of our great ensembles, and the wonderful clinics that were going to inspire our members to reach for the stars and teach with the passion and purpose that brought them to this wonderful profession. I was looking forward to spending time visiting the exhibits and talking with old friends and meeting new colleagues. I was excited…we all were excited, but Mother Nature had other plans and we were tasked with making a difficult decision. I am thankful to be part of a leadership team that takes their responsibilities to heart, that had foresight years ago to plan for rainy days, for leaders that are not afraid to make the difficult decisions, knowing the impact it would have on many people in our community. While the excitement of the 2024 conference has been taken away, there is a renewed excitement of knowing the organization is in great hands with outstanding leadership, as we move into the upcoming weeks, months, and years. One of the jobs that I was tasked with last night was to contact the band directors of each of the scheduled performing ensembles and break the news that the conference had been canceled and they would not be able to perform this year. It was a difficult conversation that I had with each of them, as I completely understand the amount of energy, time, emotion, and financial investment it takes to perform at the state conference. It is something a director thinks about every day, from the moment they receive the letter telling them they have been accepted until they step foot onto that stage and stand before their peers. So I encourage you all to reach out to Graham Bennett, John Cain, Matthew Chambliss, Justin Compton, Latrice Green, Meredyth Petersen, Jacob Souder, and Casey Thomas and express how much we appreciate what they and their students did to prepare for this event. I am sure this 22
would mean a great deal to each of them, knowing you took the time to show your support of their efforts. After all, if we don’t lift each other up, then who will? Speaking of lifting others up, join me in congratulating these outstanding band programs that recently participated or have been selected to perform in several national events. The Alabama A&M University “Maroon and White Marching Band” was given the prestigious honor of leading the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this past November. The Hoover High School “First Edition” Jazz Band made its 3rd appearance at The Midwest Clinic in December 2023. The Albertville High School “Aggie Marching Band” along with the University of Alabama “Million Dollar Marching Band”, performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, in January 2024. The Troy University Symphony Band, the Huntsville High School Wind Ensemble, and the Auburn Junior High School Wind Ensemble have been selected to perform at the 2024 CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference to be held February 29 – March 2, 2024, at the University of Memphis. In looking forward, I am excited about several of our upcoming ABA events. This year we move to our new concert band Music Performance Assessment format, by using the new cumulative music list based on levels. Please make sure you are using that list to choose your list piece. Also, take a moment to look at the Sight-reading guidelines, the adjudication rubric, and other general information that is available on our website. Another new event for ABA is our Jazz Music Performance Assessment. The Jazz MPA Registration is now open in the Members Area of alaband.org. Thompson High School has agreed to be our host site this year, and the event will take place on Thursday, April 18. All information pertaining to the classification of bands,
expectations, and the rubric are also posted on the website under the Jazz Division tab. I am extremely excited about the 2024 AllState Band and Solo Festival. I encourage your students to participate in the Solo Festival. It is such a wonderful opportunity for musical growth! We are fortunate to have five incredible conductors for our AllState Bands this year. Dr. Paula Crider was scheduled to conduct the Red Band, but a recent PET scan revealed that her cancer has returned and she is having to cancel all of her spring engagements. Please join me in sending prayers for complete healing for this precious lady. Mr. Richard Floyd will step in as our Red Band Conductor and Dr. Sue Samuels will replace him as our White Band Conductor. Carol Brittan Chambers will conduct the Blue Band, Cheryl Floyd will conduct the Middle School Red Band, and Mickey Smith, Jr will be the Middle School White Band Conductor. We have several clinics scheduled and great exhibits to keep everyone engaged in all things Band! I cannot close this article without mentioning the passing of Robert W. Smith. Much has been written about the impact he had on the entire world of music education. Oh, how I cherish the fact that one of his last clinics was with us this past summer. I was fortunate to be asked to share my thoughts with the Instrumentalist magazine this fall, where I shared some of my memories and due to space restraints the last paragraph that I wrote was edited out, but I think this is the perfect way to close this article. “In many ways, Robert’s life was a reflection of the lyrics to the song “The Greatest Love of All ``. He believed “the children are our future. Teach them well, and let them lead the way”. As teachers, we are responsible for the future…We teach the future…..and we need to carry forth and honor the legacy and remembrance of not just Robert W. Smith but all of those teachers whose lives impacted ours.
February/March 2024
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2024 ALL-STATE BAND FESTIVAL April 24, 2024 Solo Festival, April 25-27, 2024 All State Band Festival, Von Braun Civic Center ABA Office Salon 7 2nd Floor Saturn Hall (Saturn Hall is formerly North Hall) Wednesday, April 24 Solo Festival, Solo Finalist Warm Times (Closed) Saturn 2 3:00 -6:20 pm State Solo Festival Finals Concert Saturn 2 7:00 pm Doors open 6:30 pm) Band Hosts Meeting President’s Suite 9:00 pm Thursday, April 25 Clinician Meet and Greet Saturn Hall and Concourse
President’s Suite 1 1:00 am (invitation only) EXHIBITS OPEN 1:00 pm-4:00 pm/6:00-8:00 pm ALL-STATE BAND REHEARSALS (CLOSED) East Hall 1 Red Band 3:00-5:00/7:00-9:00 pm East Hall 3 White Band 3:00-5:00/7:00-9:00 pm South Hall 2 Blue Band 3:00-5:00/7:00-9:00 pm Saturn 1 (formerly North Hall) Red Middle School Band 3:00-5:00/7:00-9:00 pm Salon 3 White Middle School Band 3:00-5:00/7:00-9:00 pm ABA Board President’s Suite (Embassy) 7:00-9:00 pm CURFEW FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS - 11:00 PM Friday, April 26 Saturn 3 and Concourse East Hall 1 East Hall 3 South Hall 2 Saturn 1 Salon 3
EXHIBITS OPEN ALL-STATE BAND REHEARSALS Red Band White Band Blue Band Red Middle School Band White Middle School Band
10:00 am - 12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm 8:30 am -12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm 8:30 am -12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm 8:30 am -12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm 8:30 am -12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm 8:30 am -12:00 pm/2:00-5:30 pm
Salon 1 ABA General Business meeting 9:00 -10:00 am Salon 1 Clinic -Bridging the Gap Between Music Educators and Administrators Demetrius Scott, Ed Nichols, Greg Faulkner, Chris Pennington 10:15-11:00 am East Hall 2 Phi Beta Mu Luncheon 12:00-1:00 pm Salon 1 Clinic - From Complexity to Clarity: Tips & Tricks to Help the Overwhelmed Director Find Success Matt Weaver 2:00-2:45 pm Salon 1 Clinic -Culture Building: Fostering Musical Excellence and Community in Rural School Bands Nick Staff, Jared Holland, Tim Harris, Jonathon Steinman 3:00- 3:35 pm CURFEW FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS - 11:00 pm Saturday, April 27 East Hall 2 East Hall 2 East Hall 2 East Hall 1 Propst Arena East Hall 1 Propst Arena East Hall 1 Propst Arena East Hall 1 Propst Arena East Hall 1 Propst Arena Propst Arena ala breve
ABA Board Meeting 2 7:30-8:00 am ABA General Business Meeting 2 8:00-9:00 am Instrument Case Storage/First Chair Picture White MS Band Warm Up 9:30-9:50 am White MS Band Concert 10:00 am Red MS Band Warm Up 11:00-11:20 am Red MS Band Concert 11:30 am Blue Band Warm Up 12:30-12:50 pm Blue Band Concert 1:00 pm White Band Warm Up 2:00-2:20 pm White Band Concert 2:30 pm Red Band Warm Up 3:30-3:50 pm ALL STATE SOLO FEST FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT 3:55 pm Red Band Concert 4:00 pm 23
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2024 ABA ALL-STATE CLINICIANS RED BAND Richard Floyd
Texas State Director of Music Emeritus Richard Floyd is presently in his 62nd year of active involvement as a conductor, music educator, and administrator. He has enjoyed a distinguished career at virtually every level of wind band performance and music education. Prior to his 31-year tenure at the University of Texas, he held positions as Professor of Conducting and Wind Ensemble Conductor at the University of South Florida, Director of Bands at Baylor University, and 11 years as a member of the music faculty in the nationally acclaimed Richardson, Texas school band program. Mr. Floyd is a recognized authority on conducting, the art of wind band rehearsing, concert band repertoire, and music advocacy. As such, he has toured extensively including appearances in 44 American states and 9 other countries. The Austin Symphonic Band, under his leadership, has performed at the Midwest International Clinic in Chicago on three occasions and its recordings serve as a reference for countless middle school, high school, and collegiate ensembles. In 2002 he was the recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award presented by the American School Band Directors Association. The Texas Bandmasters Association named him Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006 and in 2009 he was presented the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award. In March 2011, he was inducted into the Music for All Hall of Fame and awarded the prestigious Midwest International Clinic Medal of Honor for his distinguished and unique contributions to educational bands and orchestras. Most recently he was inducted into the National Band 24
Association Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts, considered to be the Academy Award of wind music performance and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity honored him with the Outstanding Contributor Award recognizing individuals for outstanding contributions to band music education. In 2021 the College Band Directors National Association established the Richard Floyd CBDNA Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his decades of service to that organization. And in 2023 the CBDNA Board of Directors selected Floyd to be a recipient of that organization’s elite Lifetime Achievement Award. Floyd is a Yamaha Master Educator and is the author of the critically acclaimed book “The Artistry of Teaching and Making Music” published by GIA Publications and is in its third printing. His latest book, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Music Making” released in 2020, also published by GIA, is the recipient of similar accolades and is utilized by numerous universities and institutions of high learning.
WHITE BAND Dr. Sue Samuels
Sue Samuels returned to Furman University, her alma mater, in 2019 as Director of Bands and Coordinator of Music Education Studies. Since she arrived at Furman, the Furman Symphonic Band has received invitational performances at the South Carolina Music Educators Conference (2022) the Grainger Festival in Chicago (2022), and the Sousa Festival in Washington, DC (2024), and the Paladin Regiment Marching Band was invited to perform in Dublin Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade this past March 2023. Dr. Samuels’
teaching experience prior to her arrival at Furman includes 3 years as Director of Visual and Performing Arts at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, 14 years as Director of Bands at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2 years as Director of Bands at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia, 1 year as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, and 12 years as Assistant Director of Bands at Lassiter High School in Marietta Georgia. During her tenure as a high school band director, the bands at both Lassiter and Woodson performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, and the Lassiter Band performed at the Midwest Clinic twice (1989, 1996) and won the 1998 Marching Band Grand National Championships. Under her leadership at UAB, the band program more than doubled in number, and the band performed nationally and internationally. In addition to her work as a band director, Dr. Samuels enjoys being a mom to her beautiful son, Andrew, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2010.
BLUE BAND Carol Brittin Chambers
Carol Brittin Chambers, composer and arranger, is currently the composer and owner of Aspenwood Music, LLC aspenwoodmusic.com. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, where she is also on the music faculty at Texas Lutheran University, teaching composition and serving as Composer in Residence. Chambers is commissioned each year to compose and arrange works for concert band, marching band, orchestra, and various other ensembles. Her concert works have beenselected to the J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice List and the Bandworld Top 100 and have been February/March 2024
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performed at state educator conferences across the country, including the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. She was named the winner of the 2019 WBDI (Women Band Directors International)Composition Competition. She has arranged and orchestrated marching shows for numerous high school and college bands across the country, as well as The Crossmen Drum Corps. Before coming to TLU, Chambers taught middle school and high school band and private lessons for many years in the North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX. She has also consistently performed with groups such as the MidTexas and San Antonio Symphonies. Chambers received a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Tech University. She studied under Vincent Cichowicz, John Paynter, Arnold Jacobs, James Sudduth, and Will Strieder.
MIDDLE SCHOOL RED BAND Cheryl Floyd
Cheryl Floyd completed her twenty-fifth year as Director of Bands at Hill Country Middle School in Austin, Texas in May 2017. Prior to her tenure at Hill Country, she served as Director of Bands at Murchison Middle School, also in Austin, for eight years. Musical organizations under her leadership have consistently been cited for musical excellence at both local contests and national invitational festivals. Mrs. Floyd is recognized nationally for her educational and musical achievements at the middle school level. In 1990 her Murchison program was the recipient of the coveted Sudler Cup Award presented to exemplary middle school band programs by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Hill Country Middle School Band performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 1998 and again in 2006, at Music For All’s ala breve
National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis (March 2012), as well as the Western International Band Clinic (November 2014) under Mrs. Floyd’s direction.Over the past twenty-plus years, she has maintained a keen interest in commissioning new works for concert band and has collaborated with such internationally recognized composers as Frank Ticheli, Cajun Folk Songs, Shenandoah, Bob Margolis, Renaissance Fair, Dana Wilson, Sang!, Ron Nelson, Courtly Airs and Dances, Steven Barton, Hill Country Flourishes, Chris Tucker, Twilight in the Wilderness. Catherine McMichael, Cape Breton Postcard, John Mackey, Undertow, Donald Grantham, Spangled Heavens, a consortium commission for TMEA’s MS Region 18 by Viet Cuong entitled Diamond Tide, and most recently, Sparkle by Scott McAllister. The works generated by these ongoing projects have been acknowledged as being among the most significant works for young band. In 2003, Mrs. Floyd was elected to the American Bandmasters’ Association. She is the fifth female member of this 225member organization and the first middle school band director to be chosen for ABA membership.
MIDDLE SCHOOL WHITE BAND Mickey Smith Jr
Educator. Encourager. Those are just two of the words that describe Southwest Louisiana native Mickey Smith Jr. In the course of his career, Mickey has grown band programs in Louisiana and Texas by over 500%, encompassing half of their school’s population. Upon moving to Florida his program had 100% of the school population! Currently, Mickey teaches band to 4th through 12th grade students at The King’s Academy. There the program has seen increased interest and growth with the new Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Concert Band, and Jr. Jazz Band programs. Throughout his nearly two-decade career, he has
developed and grown not only band programs, but most importantly, he has helped young people realize what they are capable of through music. This 7-time Teacher of the Year and GRAMMY Music Educator Award Recipient believes in promoting education and the educators across the globe who make it possible. Mickey Smith Jr. has shared his unique combination of message and music with thousands of students as a teacher, allstate conductor, and clinician. In addition, he has taken his systems of joy for teaching to hundreds of educational conferences, school district meetings, and leadership development stages across North America sharing his “Keep On Going” approach. Mickey has extensive experience teaching in Title I, urban, suburban, rural, public, as well as private schools. Throughout the years, Mickey’s classrooms have been filled with students from a variety of backgrounds providing them with the opportunity to find greater meaning and purpose through music. Mickey’s classroom experience encourages students to do more than make music. Mickey encourages students to also “discover their personal sound.” In addition to teaching, Mickey believes in building genuine relationships with students to discover the unique sound every child in his class possesses. Throughout Mickey’s career, he has experienced firsthand that every child is just one sound adult away from achieving success. Mickey was that very student who benefited greatly because someone believed in who he could be. He believes that modern-day teaching is a relationship-based approach and that now more than ever teaching cannot simply be about the subject matter, but should also be about showing students that they matter. In Mickey Smith Jr.’s classroom, the mission is to engage, educate, and elevate every learner to excellence through music, so that every child feels loved, valued, and wanted. West Palm Beach is now home to Mickey, Eugenia, and their two children, William and Mikayla. You can learn more about Mickey Smith Jr. by visiting his website, mickeysmithjr.com.
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Teacher Profile
Why did you decide on a career in music education? I spent a great amount of time performing and teaching privately until I began teaching in public schools in 2020. I always knew I wanted to teach in some capacity but I wasn’t quite sure if that would be done privately while I held a position as a performer in a military band or in an orchestra or if I would jump straight into the fray as a band director. After the pandemic, playing jobs became very scarce and I had a lot of life happen between 2019 and 2020. When I decided to begin my search for band directing jobs it was more out of necessity. All that being said, it was the best decision I could have ever made. I loved playing, and still do, but I love teaching students music even more! Who are some of your teachers/colleagues that you would consider mentors and why?
Stephen Cook Editor’s Note: Each Teacher Profile spotlights a music educator from across the full spectrum of AMEA - new teachers, experienced teachers, retired teachers, and teachers from each of AMEA’s different divisions. This issue features Stephen Cook, Band Director at Brooks High School in Killen.
Briefly tell us about your current position, how long you’ve been there, and a little about your schedule. Currently I am employed by the Lauderdale County School System and I work at Brooks High School and Elementary School in Killen, AL. Killen is located maybe 20 minutes east of Florence, AL. This is my second year as band director and I am responsible for the 5-6th grade beginning band, 7-8th grade intermediate band, a 9-11th grade instrumental techniques course, two introductory guitar/piano courses, and, the high school marching band/concert band. The marching band and spring concert band typically consists of 8-12 grade students and maybe a few 7th graders that show maturity on both their instrument and in their attitude. Tell us about your background – hometown, college, family, etc. I am from Columbus, MS and graduated from high school at New Hope High School in 2009. After that I attended the University of North Alabama where I completed a Bachelors of Science in Music Education in 2016. After that I went on to get a Masters in Trumpet Performance from the University of Memphis. After Memphis I did some freelance work in Chicago as well as worked on an Artist Certificate at DePaul University. My mother and father both still live in Columbus and I visit them as many times as I can.
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I’ve always had great mentors and I’ve always tried my best to learn what I could from them. I remember back in my undergraduate at UNA talking with Dr. Jones and heeding his advice on not solely focusing on a performance degree. It would have been a difficult road if I hadn’t listened and I am very grateful to him for his advice and mentorship. I also remember speaking to Pat Stegall at length about mentorship and developing band culture around servant leadership. He frequently comes out to mentor the students at Brooks and I know they learn a whole lot from him. Mr. Stegall has always put a ton of faith in his music education students and that made us really reflect and strive for the best in our own craft. That has then transferred to our students and has made our bands that much more successful. Couldn’t ask for a better mentor than Mr. Stegall. There are literally so many mentors that we would run out of ink and paper to include them all. Name one accomplishment that fills you with pride so far in your career. In March of 2023 the Brooks band room had its roof blown away due to some straight-line winds and we were left wondering how any of the following season would go. We had previously had a very successful year. We received Best in Class Band awards everywhere we went and all Superiors at MPA. It was all I could ask for from my students as their first year director. When the band room was destroyed I seriously wondered if I could successfully facilitate another season like we had last year. I also worried a great deal about whether my band would be willing to work hard to meet our level of expectation when we would be rehearsing in a cafeteria or a gym with no air conditioning in 103 degree heat. I was worried they would all quit and I’d be out of a job. Almost a year later I can safely say that we did achieve our brand of excellence and are continuing to push that level even higher. The band put on more drill and learned more music at band camp than they ever had in the past. We even scored higher than we have ever scored at all the February/March 2024
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marching contests we attended considering all the logistical difficulties. We all learned that we can persevere through great adversity if we set goals, work as a team, and put others before ourselves on and off the field. As of now we have been back in our band room almost a week. I couldn’t be more proud of the students and their tenacity. They make me a better person—period. How about interests or hobbies not related to your teaching position? I enjoy things outdoors like camping, kayaking down wonderful waterways in North Alabama and South Tennessee, and hammocking in the wonderful parks we have here in Florence. I also enjoy being inside reading a book, playing video games, and hanging out with good friends and family. I’m looking forward to getting more active again with running and weight training. At one point in my life I did CrossFit and I think that would be a lot of fun to start back up!
Stephen Cook
Band Company COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS 50% TO FULL TUITION NO NO MILITARY MILITARY OBLIGATION OBLIGATION REQUIRED REQUIRED
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MARIONMILITARY.EDU/BAND-CHORUS MARIONMILITARY.EDU/BAND-CHORUS
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Dr. Carly Johnson-President, Higher Education Division
Updates to NASM Accreditation Standards and Guidelines for Higher Ed Music Programs In lieu of a post-conference HED recap, I figure no time like the present to review recent changes in philosophy and language being discussed and implemented in higher education at the national level. At the recent annual meeting for the National Association of Schools of Music held last November, several notable changes in language affecting higher education music programs that are accredited by NASM or that are seeking accreditation by NASM were discussed, voted on, and ratified by the NASM membership, Board of Directors, and Commission. Over the holidays, these updates were added to the NASM Handbook that all institutional members adhere to and use to guide curriculum development at their respective institutions. The new 2023-2024 Handbook that includes these recent updates is now available for viewing online at https://nasm.artsaccredit.org My biggest takeaway from the recent updates to the NASM Handbook is that language choice in the world of music education is very impactful. The language choices used in accreditation materials must be representative of an extremely broad array of music programs existing at higher ed institutions across the nation; institutions that differ greatly in size, scope, and mission, so it is important that national standards are equitable, and representative of all constituents served by the Association. One thing that I was looking forward to at the AMEA conference this year was seeing how an increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a diverse representation of presenters, ensembles, presentation topics, and panel discussions, would involve and include 28
more members from across the state of Alabama. The sense of community, camaraderie, and fellowship shared by members of the Association during conference week is so important to spurring on further discussion and to forming an identity that encompasses all of our shared goals as music educators, rather than our differences. One of the most important Handbook language revisions approved by the NASM Commission focuses on historical content and repertory selections for students enrolled in professional Baccalaureate degrees in music and for students enrolled in any undergraduate music program leading to teacher certification. In other words, standards that guide which composers, genres, and cultural perspectives to include and/or exclude when designing curriculum. The changes made to section VIII.B.4. are a good example of the new language changes adopted by the Commission. We can see the impact of those wording changes by comparing the 2022-2023 Handbook to the 2023-2024 Handbook. For our purposes, the changes appear in yellow highlight. VIII.B.4. (2022-2023 Handbook) History and Repertory: Students must acquire basic knowledge of music history and repertories through the present time, including study and experience of musical language and
achievement in addition to that of the primary culture encompassing the area of specialization. VIII.B.4. (2022-2023 Handbook) History and Culture: As appropriate to their major field of study, students must acquire basic overview knowledge of music history and various music cultures through the present time, including study and experience of musical language and achievements that extend beyond those associated with the primary specialization. So, why are these changes in wording significant? In my opinion, these updates acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all course of study in music and that music students benefit greatly from being exposed to a variety of composers, genres, and repertoire. Changes in wording effectively create space for and encourage greater diversity, rather than only focusing exclusively on Western European canon composers, genres, and repertoire. Another important Handbook revision, made to sections XIV.B.3.c., XIV.B.6.c., and XIV.B.7.d., focuses on content choices for students enrolled in Master’s degree programs in Conducting, Performance (general), and Opera Performance. These revisions include modifications to the language proficiencies required in these programs. XIV.B.3.c. (2022-2023 Handbook) February/March 2024
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Choral conducting majors must be proficient in vocal pedagogy and English, German, French, Italian, and Latin diction. They must have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be related to other languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. XIV.B.3.c. (2023-2024 Handbook) Choral conducting majors must be proficient in vocal pedagogy and in the diction of various languages (e.g., English, German, French, Italian, Latin, and other world languages as appropriate). They must have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be related to the various languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. XIV.B.6.c. (2022-2023 Handbook) Voice majors are expected to be proficient in English, German, French, and Italian diction and to have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be applied to various other languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. XIV.B.6.c. (2023-2024 Handbook) Voice majors are expected to be proficient in the diction of various languages (e.g., English, German, French, Italian, Latin, and other world languages as appropriate) and to have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be applied to the various languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. XIV.B.7.d. (2022-2023 Handbook) Students must develop advanced competence in English, Italian, French, and German diction and general phonetic knowledge and skills that can ala breve
be applied to other languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. XIV.B.7.d. (2023-2024 Handbook) Students must develop advanced competence in the diction of various languages (e.g., English, German, French, Italian, Latin, and other world languages as appropriate), and general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be applied to the various languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. The same type of modifications to language proficiencies can also be seen in the revisions made to Appendix I.D., Standards and Guidelines for the Education and Training of Conductors: Choral, Orchestral, Wind, and to Appendix I.D., Standards and Guidelines for the Education and Training of Conductors: Choral, Orchestral, Wind, pertaining to the Master’s degree in Conducting. Appendix I.D.1.C.2. (2022-2023 Handbook) For choral and orchestral conductors, language and diction skills sufficient to coach singers in French, German, Italian, English, and Latin, as well as general phonetic knowledge that can be related to other languages are essential. For orchestral conductors, skills sufficient to conduct rehearsals in modern European languages are desirable. Appendix I.D.1.C.2. (2023-2024 Handbook) For choral and orchestral conductors, language and diction skills, and general phonetic knowledge sufficient to coach singers in various languages including as appropriate, but not limited to, French, German, Italian, English, Latin, and other world languages, are essential. For orchestral conductors, skills sufficient to
conduct rehearsals in various world languages are desirable. Appendix I.D.4.E.1.c. (2022-2023 Handbook) Choral conducting majors must be proficient in vocal pedagogy and English, German, French, Italian, and Latin diction. They must have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be related to other languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. Appendix I.D.4.E.1.c. (2023-2024 Handbook) Choral conducting majors must be proficient in vocal pedagogy and in the diction of various languages (e.g., English, German, French, Italian, Latin, and other world languages as appropriate). They must have general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be related to the various languages. They should have language competencies sufficient to understand texts in the repertory. So, why are these changes in wording significant? These changes help open doors to welcome students from a diverse array of backgrounds and cultures. The beauty of these changes is that the revised standards do not detract from the importance of the languages that vocalists have been expected to be proficient in, instead, they merely create space for the study and practice of additional languages outside of the big four, or big five if you will. In conclusion, I look forward to seeing how additional changes in philosophy and language at the national level continue to open doors for more students from diverse backgrounds, and I wish all of my HED colleagues from across the state much success during the spring semester. See you at next year’s conference!
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AMEA Online Election Begins April 1
Candidates for AMEA President-Elect
Dr. Becky Halliday is a professor of music at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches courses in music education with a specialty in general music. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is the founding director of the University of Montevallo Kodály Institute (UMKI), a teacher training course that is endorsed by the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), and a co-director of the University of Montevallo Young Musicians’ Camp. Prior to her appointment at UM, she taught elementary general music in Georgia and Mississippi for 17 years. Dr. Halliday is currently in her sixth year as a volunteer in Bibb County, teaching Pre-K – 6th grade elementary general music at Randolph Elementary School, giving her undergraduate music education majors the opportunity to observe and teach under her direct supervision. She has been the recipient of notable awards, including the Distinguished Teacher Award for the University of Montevallo College of Fine Arts and the Lacey Powell Outstanding Music Educator Award for the Alabama Music Educators Association. As a clinician, Dr. Halliday has led elementary music workshops related to curriculum and instruction framed in both the Kodály Concept and the Orff Schulwerk Approach, arts integration, and basic conducting. Her presentations have been featured in state and national conferences, including the upcoming OAKE national conference in March 2024. She has also served as a conductor of children’s choirs in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, including the AMEA Elementary Honor Choir. As a scholar, she has publications in state and national journals and has presented at conferences across the country including the NAfME Research Symposium, the Mountain Lake Colloquium, and the American Educational Research Association Conference. Her work on the committee to revise the 2006 Alabama Course of Studies for Fine Arts has since led her to conduct presentations across the state to assist teachers in understanding and applying the 2017 state standards. Her current research initiatives include a comparison of song repertoire found in and across multiple general music textbook series from the 20th century to the present, as well as researching and analyzing children’s folk songs and singing games that originated in Alabama. In addition, she has served in leadership positions with the Sweet Home Alabama Kodály Educators (SHAKE) chapter of OAKE and the Higher Education Division of AMEA. Currently, she serves as Southern Division Representative for NAfME’s Council of General Music Education. She earned her Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Southern Mississippi and both her MMEd and BMUS from The University of Georgia. She holds certifications in both the Orff-Schulwerk Approach through the University of Kentucky and the Kodály Concept through the University of Montevallo Kodály Institute.
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Dr. Travis Bender is the Fine Arts Department Chair and Associate Director of Bands at Oak Mountain High School. He currently serves as the ABA District IV Chairman. In 2019, Dr. Bender was named Oak Mountain’s “Teacher of the Year.” Prior to joining the OMHS faculty, he served as Director of Bands at Liberty Park Middle School, where he was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2011. His duties at OMHS include teaching the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band B, Marching Band, Chamber Music, and Band Techniques. Dr. Bender has written the marching band drill and co-arranged the music for Oak Mountain’s “Spirit of Cahaba” Marching Band since 2014. Dr. Bender is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. While attending UA, he served as a drum major of the “Million Dollar Band” and as conductor of The Tuscaloosa Winds, a community band for the western Alabama region. In addition to his conducting capacities, Dr. Bender also performed extensively as the pianist for the Alabama Wind Ensemble for six years and as a trombonist for the Symphonic Band and various pep bands. His professional affiliations include NAfME, ABA, NBA, and the music honorary, Pi Kappa Lambda. Under his leadership, Dr. Bender’s bands have consistently received superior ratings at contests and festivals. His bands were invited to perform at the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference in 2012 and 2019. He has also conducted ensembles at the CBDNA Southern Conference (2014), Carnegie Hall (2015), and the Music For All National Band Festival (2016). Dr. Bender’s bands have received first-place awards at the Dixie Classic Grand National Adjudicators Festival (2013), the Smoky Mountain Music Festival (2019), and Festival Disney (2012 and 2017). He has coordinated the Oak Mountain “Spirit of Cahaba” Marching Band performances in the National Cherry Blossom Parade (2018) as well as parades at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT (2017) and Magic Kingdom (2020). Dr. Bender has presented sessions at the 2014 and 2016 AMEA conferences, the 2018 MSERA conference, and the 2021 ABA Summer Conference. In addition to music instruction, Dr. Bender has a strong interest in student and teacher leadership as well as music advocacy. He holds a second Master’s degree, an Educational Specialist degree, and a doctorate of education in Educational Leadership from Samford University. Beyond teaching, Dr. Bender is actively involved as an elder at Crossbridge Church and loves serving as the VBS Worship Leader each year. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, Krista, a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Mountain Intermediate School. They have one daughter, Madison, and one son, Matthew.
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Candidates for AMEA Recording Secretary Heather Holmes serves as Director of Bands at Oak Mountain Middle School in Birmingham, AL. The OMMS Band program is the largest in Shelby County and has approximately 330 students. The bands consistently perform at a high level and receive regular superior ratings. During the school day, Mrs. Holmes teaches three Beginner Band classes, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Advanced Band. Mrs. Holmes received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Alabama. She achieved National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music in December 2022. Mrs. Holmes is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Instructional Leadership at the University of Montevallo. Prior to her appointment at Oak Mountain Middle School, she served as the band director at her alma mater, Brooks High School, for five years. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Holmes serves as Recording Secretary for the Alabama Music Educators Association and Secretary for the Shelby County Band Directors Association. She is a member of the OMMS School Leadership Team and was named Oak Mountain Middle School’s Teacher of the Year in 2016. Mrs. Holmes is active as a guest clinician and conductor
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for middle school bands throughout the region. Her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, American School Band Directors Association, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, and Sigma Alpha Iota. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Holmes sings with the First Baptist Pelham Church Choir and helps direct the Children’s Choir. She resides in Birmingham with her husband, Jason, and their two children, Ella and William. Dr. Morgan Soja is the Director of Music Education at Samford University. She earned her Ph.D. and MM in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her BM in Music Education from Bowling Green State University. She has certificates in Kodaly levels I and II, Orff Level I, II, and III, and GIML Introductions to MLT and Elementary General Music coursework. Soja has participated in initiatives with the Supporting Beginning Music Teachers area of strategic planning and action of SMTE. She has presented frequently at state and national NAfME conferences, and at workshops throughout Alabama and North Carolina.
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AMEA AWARDS
JORDAN CUTCHENS 2023 FAME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
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MATTHEW GARDNER ED CLEINO OUTSTANDING YOUNG MUSIC EDUCATOR
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NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN MUSIC Certified in 2023 PATRICK DAILEY Arab City Schools SUSAN HENDERSON Mobile, Alabama NICOLE KMOCH Decatur City Schools JAMES ROGERS Mountain Brook City Schools AMEA Membership Honor Roll 2024 The Alabama Music Educators Association is proud to recognize those AMEA members having 25 or more years of continuous membership in NAfME. This year, each person attaining 25 years and those reaching increments of five years beyond that will be honored. The following music educators will be honored during the Friday evening General Session.
James Champion - 55 years
Mary Hughes - 35 years
Tim Hammond - 25 years
Ted Mann - 50 years
Steve Price - 35 years
Margaret Heron - 25 years
Harry McAfee - 50 years
James Simpson - 35 years
Kelly Hollingsworth - 25 years
Christopher Rowe - 50 years
Brent Coleman - 30 years
Spencer Johnson - 25 years
Dane Lawley - 45 years
Chris Cooper - 30 years
John Kincaid - 25 years
Bonnie Lipscomb - 45 years
Rhonda Tucker - 30 years
Christopher Pryor - 25 years
Robert Sheehan - 45 years
Wiley Chester Bean - 25 years
David Raney - 25 years
Rebecca Walker - 45 years
Heather Cantwell - 25 years
Chris Smith - 25 years
Connie Hammond - 40 years
Julia Cook - 25 years
Sheila Sparks - 25 years
Debora Mayes - 40 years
Douglas Farris - 25 years
Christopher Walker - 25 years
Larry Batchelor - 35 years
Richard Good - 25 years
Michael Wilson - 25 years
Jeff Burnside - 35 years
Debbie Gray - 25 years
Rita Wright - 25 years
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A Reflection on Literature Selection for Band Directors Selection of quality repertoire is one of the most daunting tasks faced by any band director. According to Battisti (2002), “The selection of music is one of the most important duties of the band director.” The selection of literature for use in secondary music programs is an integral part of the curriculum selected for study by the music teacher. The repertoire that is ultimately selected should assist in the development of desired musical concepts and skills (Garofalo, 1983). Teachers are met with numerous questions throughout the literature selection process for their ensembles. Many authors have established the process of music and repertoire selection as one of, if not the most important duties of a band director (Battisti, 2002; Garofalo, 1983; Jagow, 2007; Labuta, 1997; Reynolds, 2000; Rush, 2006; Thomson, 2017). Rush (2006) states “The collective band community has an awesome responsibility when it comes to appropriate programming for our ensembles. We must select literature that fits the ensemble each year, and we must select music that has value and is paced appropriately” (p. 66). The works selected for preparation by the band director dictate what and how an ensemble will prepare throughout the year and serve as that ensemble’s curriculum (Reynolds, 2000; Thomson, 2017). There are many places for directors to go to locate suggested band repertoire, including state association lists and other lists promoted by publications and professional organizations (Jagow, 2007). Problems arise from these lists because there is a plethora of school music repertoire that is lacking in quality and merit for the specific ensemble for which it is selected. Many groups of people have found fault with the quality of schoollevel band music, including university-level band directors, composers, professional musicians, parents, students, and many secondary-school band directors (Budiansky & Foley, 2005). Are lists the driving factor behind literature selection for band directors? Many state associations require a certain number of pieces to be performed from a standardized list for their state music performance assessment events (Jagow, 2007). One could argue that lists are an important part of literature selection, but those lists only affect one performance each year: the state assessment performance. How are band directors choosing music for other performances of their bands? How are they choosing the pieces they do not need to choose from a list for 34
by Dakota Bromley
state assessment performances? There are many factors related to selecting repertoire. Some of those factors include the band director’s experience, training, and the instructional level they have taught (Crochet, 2006). Crochet’s (2006) analysis acknowledged the following about those factors: Experienced wind band directors may find it easier to select instructional materials (repertoire) that are appropriate for the curriculum and developmental needs of their students. Repertoire selection is an essential skill for wind band directors, and it may be that training will assist wind band directors in selecting appropriate and quality repertoire. Although the selection of quality music for study and performance is important at all instructional levels, the repertoire selection practices of wind band directors at each level – middle school, high school, and college – may be significantly different. (p. 2) Repertoire selection is a challenge for many band directors, and they often turn to one another and other sources to seek assistance. Rickels and Brewer (2017) analyzed the content of more than 14,000 pieces of social media communication collected from the Facebook Band Director’s Group and found that repertoire was by far the most discussed topic. Other articles published about repertoire selections and recommendations show that directors are consistently interested in this important topic (Brewer, 2018; Budiansky & Foley, 2005). Some authors have lamented the lack of quality in a large amount of music written for school bands. Budiansky and Foley (2005) wrote the following about music for school bands: Many critics have noted that much of the music composed specifically for school bands is formulaic, emotionally superficial, monotonously alike, dull, and didactic; that it fails to inspire students; and that by being removed from any genuine living musical tradition, classical or popular, it fails to provide students with a true musical education or the basis for further independent exploration of music, either as a performer or listener. (p. 2)
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Garofalo (1983) provides what could be thought of as a literal blueprint of three main elements band directors should consider when selecting music for their ensembles to perform. Those three factors are structural elements, historical context, and skills development (Garofalo, 1983). Garofalo also provides a checklist for directors to use when assessing repertoire quality. The checklist includes the following questions: • Does the work exhibit the craftsmanship of a skilled composer? • Is the work expertly scored? • Does the form shape the various elements of the work in a logical way? • Does the work reflect the ebb and flow of human emotions? • Does the work contain abstract subtleties of expression? (Garofalo, 1983, p. 31) Cramer (1997) presented a seven-step checklist for another method for assessing the quality of a work for wind band: Does the music have: 1 A well-conceived formal structure? 2 Creative melodies and counterlines? 3 Harmonic imagination? 4 Rhythmic vitality? 5 Contrast in all musical elements? 6 Scoring which best represents the full potential for beautiful tone and timbre? 7 An emotional impact? (p. 18) Many other authors and researchers have proposed similar guidelines for musical selection; the chosen lists of criteria are representative of most repertoire selection checklists in circulation. The chosen list to use for repertoire selection is not important; only that a director has criteria for music selection is important. Researchers have investigated the repertoire selection practices of wind band conductors at a variety of instructional levels (Crochet, 2006). One of the most influential sources of repertoire for school bands are contest lists assembled by state associations Budiansky & Foley, 2005). Many teachers look to repertoire lists as a first resource when beginning the literature selection process (Jagow, 2007). Crochet (2006) indicated that experienced teachers are far more likely to utilize repertoire lists in their selection process than less-experienced teachers. Younger, less experienced music educators tend to lean on their university wind band conductors and the programming choices of those conductors as they begin their careers (Mertz, 2018). Mertz explains this thought process here: University wind ensemble conductors are often cited and held up as experts in the band area of music education, and the values they espouse can easily become part of the standard and accepted practices in the profession. As preservice band directors play in ala breve
collegiate ensembles, college and university wind conductors transmit values about repertoire: what is good, what is valuable, what is not good, and what is not valuable. Inherent in these decisions is the transmission of overt and covert knowledge and the consequent establishment – intentionally or unintentionally – of a musical hierarchy and set of practices based upon the hidden value that the choice might be taken to represent because curricular choices always carry and transmit the values of the decisionmakers. In other words, when a conductor programs a piece of repertoire, there are tacit messages, ones that carry judgments… (p. 1) There are a great number of resources available to music educators for literature selection. Crochet (2006) shows the resources directors choose to utilize most often are mostly dependent on experience level in the field of music education. Some great resources for selection include online resources like music distributors, websites, and online databases cataloging new and underrepresented composers, colleagues, mentors, and performances by other groups in various venues (conferences, honor bands, concerts, etc.). There is an element of the repertoire selection process that seems to have been overlooked by most research on this subject; the personal feeling and thoughts of the band director selecting the music. Many band directors are greatly influenced by their own thoughts or the perceived thoughts of others when it comes to literature selection. Many directors choose repertoire because it is what they are “supposed to do” (Mertz, 2018), not necessarily because they believe in the selected repertoire or its potential benefits to their students. Rush (2006) is even more direct in one of his criticisms of literature selection: Many successful directors make a fundamental mistake…picking music that is too difficult for the ensemble. There is a reason this happens: we want instant gratification to satisfy our egos. We want our bands to play great literature without having to teach first. The reality is that there are great pieces of music regardless of the level, and it is better to play easier, high-quality music than to butcher great work. (p. 63) As a young band director, I have often been faced with questions like these, but not only about literature selection. Am I playing this piece of literature because it is best for my students or because it makes me look good? Are we memorizing scales because it is musically helpful for the students, or is it so I can brag about it to my colleagues? Did I apply to perform at a conference because I want the students to have that opportunity, or did I do it for myself ? Over the years, I have realized that I have made many decisions 35
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based on pride and ego in my career as a music educator. I have also had numerous conversations with fellow band directors that point directly to the decisions they make being based on pride and ego as well. I have often found other directors lamenting the choices they feel they must make because “what will people think if I…” I have found the literature selection process to be one that I have allowed to be influenced by my own pride and ego. As I have become more comfortable with the literature selection process and appropriate programming for the bands I teach, I have come to realize that choosing appropriate repertoire for my bands has often been overshadowed by my own desires to perform specific works. I have often felt myself feeling inadequate as a teacher because I would program easier music from one concert cycle to the next instead of increasing in difficulty. I would let the programming decisions of other directors influence my programming process because “if that band can do it, so can mine!” Admitting this limitation to myself (and all of you here) has been one of the most eyeopening revelations of my career. Although I am not perfect and certainly allow my pride to influence my programming decisions from time to time, I have found my focus has shifted more toward two distinct points: 1. Does this literature enhance the music-making experience for my students, and 2. Does this literature push me to become a better musician and teacher? I sincerely hope you will take a long look at your literature selection process to ensure you truly are meeting the goals you have set for yourself and your students. References Armes, J.W. (2020). Backward design and repertoire selection: Finding full expression. Music Educators Journal, 106(3), 54-59. Battisti, F.L. (2002). The winds of change: The evolution of the contemporary American wind band/ensemble and its conductor. Meredith Music Publications. Brewer, W. (2018). A content analysis of recommended composers in repertoire lists for band. Research and Issues in Music Education, 14(1), Article 3. https://ir.stthomas.edu/rime/vol14/iss1/3 Budiansky, S. & Foley, T.W. (2005). The quality of repertoire in school music programs: Literature review, analysis, and discussion. Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, 12, 17-39. https://www.budiansky.com/WASBE1.pdf Cramer, R. (1997). Our GPS for success: It’s all about the literature! In R. Miles (Ed.), Teaching music through performance in band (2nd ed. Vol.1), 17-21. GIA Publications. Crochet, L.S. (2006). Repertoire selection practices of band directors as a function of teaching experience, training, instructional level, and degree of success (Order No. 3215250). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. 36
(305307954). Garofalo, R.J. (1983). Blueprint for band: A guide to teaching comprehensive musicianship through school band performance. Meredith Music Publications. Hopkins, M. (2013). Programming in the zone: Repertoire selection for the large ensemble. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 69-74. Jagow, S. (2007). Teaching instrumental music: Developing the complete band program. Meredith Music Publications. Labuta, J.A. (1997). Teaching musicianship in the high school band. Meredith Music Publications. Mertz, J.J. (2018). Tension in the band repertoire selection process: Issues of compatibility between training, belief, and practice (Order No. 10973175). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2132066398). O’Toole, P. (2003). Shaping sound musicians: An innovative approach to teaching comprehensive musicianship through performance. GIA Publications. Reynolds, R. (2000). Repertoire is the curriculum. Music Educators Journal, 87(1). https://doi.org/10.2307/3399675 Rickels, D.A. & Brewer, W. (2017). Facebook band directors’ group: member usage behaviors and perceived satisfaction for meeting professional development needs. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 26(3), 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083717692380 Rush, S. (2006). Habits of a successful band director: Pitfalls and solutions. GIA Publications, Inc. Thomson, J. (2017). Selecting repertoire. In G. Stith (Ed.), The conductor’s companion: 100 rehearsal techniques, imaginative ideas, quotes, and facts. Meredith Music Publications.
Dakota Bromley serves as the Director of Bands at Jemison High School in Jemison, AL. His bands have consistently received superior ratings at all evaluations, including the annual Music Performance Assessment. He holds a Bachelor of Music in instrumental music education and saxophone performance from the University of Montevallo, a Master of Education in instrumental music education from Auburn University and an Education Specialist in teacher leadership from the University of West Alabama. Dakota is an Auburn University student pursuing a Ph.D. in instrumental music education. He is a National Board Certified Teacher. Dakota lives in Alabaster, AL, with his wife, Rachel, and two daughters, Addison and Jenna.
February/March 2024
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Alabama State University Department of Music Bachelor of Music Education Master of Education in Music Class A Alternative Certification available for students with baccalaureate credentials in a liberal arts program in music
P-12 Vocal/Choral P-12 Instrumental
Woodwinds Brass Percussion Piano Voice
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Alabama State University is an accredited institutional member of
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(334) 229-4341
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Pat Bacon
IN MEMORIAM
August 10, 1949 - September 16, 2023 It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved Niles Patrick Bacon entered into the presence of the Lord on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Born on August 10th, 1949, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pat peacefully passed away of natural causes surrounded by his loved ones in Athens, Alabama. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Gwendolyn Diane Bacon; his children, Diana Lauren Bacon, Nicholas Patrick Bacon, and Christopher Niles Bacon; his siblings, Michael Winton Bacon and the late Phyllis Ann Rice; along with many nieces and nephews. Mr. Bacon (as he was affectionately known in the community) was a friend to all who met him. He had the biggest heart, a witty personality, always helpful to others, and put all of his best efforts into everything he did. This was evident in the hundreds of students that he taught every day for 40 years. Pat earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of North Alabama. Upon graduating, he started teaching in 1970 at the age of 21 as the junior high band instructor in Athens City Schools. As an educator, Mr. Bacon was selected as the Southern Accreditation Representative for Athens City and Limestone County Schools. He was also selected as Teacher of the Year and was Alabama State Board of Education National Teacher of the Year nominee. His tenure for the Athens Band Program, primarily Athens Middle School and Athens Intermediate School, was recognized as earning the longest tenure of any band director in the city of Athens. A true tribute to Mr. Bacon for the dedication he has to the Athens City band program, the education of our youth, and to our community. He was a member of numerous professional organizations, including Phi Beta Mu National Honorary Band Masters Fraternity and Pi Tau Chi National Honors Society at Athens State University. In addition, he was the minister of music for 40 years at First Presbyterian Church in Athens. His excellence in piano performance has blessed our community in numerous ways. Above all of his wonderful accomplishments, Pat was most proud of his family, and he was a faithful and strong Christian father, husband, and spiritual leader. Although we will miss him dearly, we are comforted in knowing that our Dad is in the restorative presence of God, rejoicing with the Heavenly Choir.
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From Dan Havely... We were so blessed and fortunate to have had Pat Bacon as band director for an unbelievable 40 years at Athens Middle School. His dedication and commitment to teaching and inspiring others will always be remembered. Pat developed the AMS Band into a thriving, successful organization that served as a foundation for an instrumental music program consisting of over 500 student musicians. Pat also directed the high school band during the 1972-73 school year while I was away pursuing a master’s degree. Pat’s mild-mannered and unassuming persona underscored his ability to teach not only instrumental music, but the values of good manners, respect, and teamwork as well. Whatever success the Athens Band attained could be directly attributed to his unwavering commitment to his students and the ideals of good character. Pat Bacon will be greatly missed but never replaced. I am eternally thankful for our wonderful years working together.
David Brewer July 19, 1950 - October 13, 2023 David Hayes Brewer, age 73, of Vestavia Hills, Alabama passed away on Friday, October 13, 2023. He is preceded in death by his parents, Hoyt and Francis, his brother, Dwayne, and his daughter, Page. He is survived by his sister, Francis his wife of 50, years Linda, his daughter, Kathleen, her husband, Chad, and their daughter Lillian. David was born July 19, 1950, in Montgomery, Alabama. He graduated from Mortimer Jordan High School in 1968. After that, he attended Jefferson State Junior College, earning an associate degree in Music. Following that he attended the University of Montevallo, where he met his wife, Linda, and earned a Bachelor’s in Music. Finally, he attended the University of Illinois and rounded out his higher education with a Master of Music. Then, David began his devoted career as a teacher, more specifically, Band Director. He taught at many schools including Pleasant Grove, Minor, McAdory, Clay-Chalkville Middle School, and Clay-Chalkville High School. Even after February/March 2024
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retiring, he was an adjunct teacher at Mountain Brook, McAdory, and John Carroll. Teaching was truly one of David’s passions and it shows in his resume but more importantly in the wonderful memories his students have of him. Whether it was him always having a cold diet soda nearby, how he would wear his hats on the very top of his bald head, or maybe the way he guided and encouraged them to find the right instrument. His career was a reflection of his great love of teaching and music. One of David‘s other passions would have to be classic cars and the model car world. David was a collector at a young age and his love of models only grew from there. One of his most prized possessions was his hunter-green 1947 Mercury, which was a gift from his wife, Linda. He was an active member of the National Modelers Association and at one time the President of the Birmingham Modelers Club. David had a massive collection, some still in boxes, some he had meticulously put together, but all of them were important to him. Even with a career and a hobby, David still had time to be an active member of his community. He sang for many years, along with his wife, at his church in The Advent Episcopal Choir. He was an Assistant Director of the Alabama Lions Club All-Star band, President of the Vestavia Lions Club, and even Lion of the Year. David was a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Alabama Music Educators Association, the Alabama Bandmasters Association, and a member of the band directors fraternity, Phi Beta Mu-RHO chapter. If you knew David you also knew his family. His wife, Linda, and their daughters, Page and Kathleen. Sadly, Page passed away in September 1992. The love he had for his family was immeasurable. Especially his only granddaughter Lillian, daughter of Kathleen and her husband, Chad. Papa, as she called him, dearly loved his LilyBug and never needed an excuse to spoil her. Whether it was playing on the floor or just sitting together and watching cartoons, their time together was truly precious. David was an incredible man and he impacted so many lives over the years. Not only did he teach his students band, he gave them a love of music. He was strict but gave everything he had with his whole heart. He always knew when to use his quick wit or sarcastic humor, but also knew when to be gentle and use great care. David Brewer will be deeply missed by many. From Mike Holmes... David Brewer and I began working together in 1981. It did not take long to see that we were going to be great friends as well as colleagues. David was an excellent teacher and musician. I think part of the way I repaid him for mentoring ala breve
me while teaching at Edgewater JH was to give him my pocket change to contribute to his daily TAB diet soda fix. Anyone that knew David has without a doubt experienced his dry sarcastic wit. We on one ocassion called a student into the band office to have a talk about behavior. David begin the conversation by asking me to pass him a “legal” pad. He then began to explain to the student that everything he said to David and me would be legally binding because it was being recorded on a “legal” pad all without cracking a smile. And it worked. I was his sponsor for Phi Beta Mu, which felt odd as I felt he should have been inducted well before me. He was a master teacher. The teaching he did most of his career was with high school and Jr. high/middle school second bands. He always made the best literature choices for those groups and always had them prepared to present a musical performance, whether it be a contest or concert. I felt fortunate that we were able to continue working together after retirement and spending more time together. He is missed by those who knew him. As he told me the last time I visited him in hospital, “I love you man!”
Sandra Hill November 1, 1958 - September 24, 2023 Sandra Jo Hill, 64, of Pelham, passed away Sunday, September 24, 2023. The graveside service will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at Moulton Memory Gardens with Lawrence Funeral Home directing. A celebration of life service will also be held on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Highlands Chapel at Grant’s Mill in Birmingham. Born on November 1, 1958 to the late James and Betty Pierce Hill, Sr., Sandra retired from the US Army and served as the Band Director for Hueytown Middle School. She also served other bands and music students in the Jefferson County area after her retirement. Survivors include her brother, Jim (Robin R.) Hill, of Gardendale; and nieces, Abigail (Ryan) Spina, and Emalyn Hill; great niece, Ruthie James Spina; and other extended family. Sandra was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Rhonda Kay Hill. 39
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Darry Pilkington December 26, 1937 - November 3, 2023 Darry was born on December 26, 1937, to Llyod and Ora Belle Pilkington of Bessemer, Alabama. He grew up in the Greenwood community and attended Bessemer High School. It was during this time, he developed his love for music while performing with the high school band, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and late-night gigs with his dance band. Following high school, while working and going to school, he graduated from Jacksonville State University with an MS in Music Education. He was proud to be part of the JSU Marching Southerners and a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity. He later helped form the Retired Southerners Alumni, and loved returning to JSU to see old classmates, past students, and give advice to the “young guys.” Known to most as “Daddy P” or “Mr. P”, he had a successful career directing bands throughout Georgia and Alabama for over 43 years. He led the high school band programs at Trion, Dalton, Coosa, Newnan, Emma Sansom, and retired from Hoover. These programs represented their communities throughout the Southeast, Canada, and Bahamas, playing at Lyndon Johnson’ inauguration, Carnegie Hall’s 100 Year Centennial Celebration, countless parades, and serving as ambassadors for the United States. Under his leadership, these bands won numerous contests and awards, including the honor of New Orleans Greatest Band in Dixie five times. There is no question, with each school and band throughout his career, there were honors, accolades, and awards. However, “Mr. P” would be the first to tell you the achievement he was most proud of was being a part of developing his students’ love for music and watching them succeed. Darry’s passion was not just for the music, he always enjoyed a good competition and developing a show to leave his audience awe struck. He was known for being tough with an unmatched standard of excellence. He started numerous marching contests, many of which are still held today. He served in many ways as a subject matter expert in the band community, hosting clinic, mentoring directors and even serving on the original advisory board responsible for establishing the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. In his “free time” during these years, he enjoyed writing arrangements, judging marching contests, and serving as a church musician. After retiring, Darry found time for his other hobbies. He 40
enjoyed fishing, traveling, and rarely missed an opportunity to cheer on the Alabama Crimson Tide. As an avid reader, he always had a good book nearby. His dedication to his bands was second only to his love for his family. He was a loving husband and devoted father. During his retirement years, he took on a rare role for him as a spectator, always there supporting his children and grandchildren with their hobbies. His competitive nature never faded, and you could count on him to be the loudest fan there. There are no words that truly describe the presence he brought to a room. He was a friend to all, a stranger to none, and always ready with a story to tell. His legacy lives on through the countless people he loved, students he impacted, and no doubt the music he brought to their lives. Darry was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Ora Belle Pilkington, and siblings, Alex Pilkington and Janet Merril. Left to cherish his memory is his devoted wife, Weslyn; brother, Donnie Pilkington (Jeannine); and his children Stuart Pilkington, Tisa Stripling (Frank), Dana Woodford (Jim), Courtney Jones (Brandon) and Ashley Powers (Daniel), his 11 grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and many family members and musicians who love him and will miss him dearly. From Harry McAfee... Darry was supportive of me throughout my career and especially when I became director at Hoover High School. Darry was the first director of the Hoover Band and continuted to be respected and loved by students, parents, and staff. Whenever I asked he was available for advice and the benefit of his experience. He continued to show interest and support for the Hoover Band well after his retirement. Darry will be missed by many.
Robert W. Smith October 24, 1958 - September 21, 2023 Robert W. Smith, internationallyrenowned educator, composer, conductor, and music publisher died on September 21, 2023, in Montgomery, AL, of complications following heart surgery. Mr. Smith was a devoted husband and father. He is survived by his wife Susan L. (Hawkins) Smith; two daughters, Savannah Grace Smith and Madison Windham Smith; and a sister, Pam Tindol (Mike); niece: Rachel Gillis; nephews: Lex Tindol, Jay Hawkins(Alison), Turner Hawkins(Victoria), JR Hawkins, February/March 2024
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Jake Hawkins; aunt and uncle: Jessie and Pat Windham; brothers-in-law: Ben Hawkins (Cyndee), Chuck Hawkins (Jeanette); and numerous other family, friends, colleagues, and students. He was preceded in death by his father, Staff Sgt Benjamin Smith (U.S. Army, ret.), and his mother, Grazia Windham Smith. Further, Mr. Smith earned the friendship of tens of thousands of colleagues and fans throughout the world. Born in 1958 in Daleville, AL, Mr. Smith graduated from Daleville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Troy University and a master’s degree from the University of Miami, where he studied with Alfred Reed. He taught high school band in Florida at Pinellas Park High School and Clearwater High School before being appointed to the faculty of James Madison University, where he met his future wife, Susan. He served as Director of Bands at Troy University from 1997-2001. He later returned to his alma mater to build a new program in Music Industry, which met with meteoric success in size and its record of graduate placement in professional positions. Mr. Smith took pride in founding and leading POPulus, Troy University’s American Popular Music Ensemble. In 2015, he founded RWS Music Publishing Company, nurturing and promoting dozens of aspiring composers. Through his own profuse output of compositions, which were beloved by beginning students and professionals alike, and his appearances as a guest conductor and clinician on five continents, Robert inspired musicians and audiences across the globe. Throughout his life, Robert was closely involved with various organizations within Drum Corps International, including Suncoast Sound, Magic of Orlando (which he founded), Spirit of Atlanta, Cadets of Bergen County, Boston Crusaders, Colts, Madison Scouts, and the Troopers. In 2010, he was elected to the DCI Hall of Fame, which recognized him as a pioneer in the activity, in no small part due to having written and produced the competitive circuit’s first show consisting exclusively of originally composed music, for Suncoast Sound.
From Lori Hart... Robert Smith was a lifelong supporter of the small school band programs, as it provided him with his very humble beginnings. Of the many speeches, clinics, and conducting events that Robert presented, and that I was privileged to be part of, the one I am most grateful for is the Band Banquet for my Wicksburg High School Band in 2022. Wicksburg High School is located in a small rural community in the southeastern corner of Alabama and is 8 miles from Daleville, where Robert grew up. When I called to invite him, he accepted without hesitation. That evening, he spoke of many things, but one of the most poignant was how he grew up in the same “red clay” that those Wicksburg students were growing up in and, “The size of your hometown does not determine your destination…It’s the size of your dreams.” Robert shared with those students how music had given him an avenue to travel all parts of the world, and the venue to work with some of the world’s most famous musicians. He spoke about the language and beauty of music and how it speaks what words cannot. He connected with all of those in attendance including a well-known philanthropist, our Superintendent, Principal, future band directors, and many parents. Everyone left that evening being changed for the better because of the true inspiration he gave to all of us. Robert Smith was a lifelong teacher to students of all ages. One of my favorite moments that I was able to witness and capture was in February 2022 during the SEUS Band Clinic in Troy. Before one of the concerts, I sat behind Robert as he shared his knowledge and advice with a young aspiring composer who had presented her latest work for him to review. He believed in investing in children through teaching and sharing his musical gifts.
Robert received multiple other awards and recognitions for his work, including elected membership in the exclusive American Bandmasters Association, of which he was serving as President-Elect at the time of his death. In 2022, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Service Fraternity, in which he had become a brother as a student at Troy University. It is impossible to fully express the positive influence Robert had on untold numbers of people worldwide, most especially on his family members and those friends who knew him best. News of his passing has met with an overwhelming outpouring of love and support, for which the family wishes to express their deepest gratitude.
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Band Directors March in Macy’s Parade As music educators, we all know and have experienced the magic that occurs when musicians get together and have the performance of a lifetime. Unfortunately, time in the trenches of the classroom can diminish those memories and leave you feeling as though your work is completely unmemorable. For the members of the Band Directors Marching Band, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was an incredible opportunity to revisit the magic and remember just how incredible it is to “be part of the band.” Through an application & selection process that took into account state representation and instrumentation, eleven Alabama band directors were 42
chosen to take part in this bucket list experience: Marsha Asquith- retired, Meridianville MS; Debbie Bakerretired, Hillcrest MS; Holly ConnellPlainview HS; Patrick Darby- Pike Road Schools; Greg Faulkner- retired, Arab HS; Nicole Kmoch- Austin Jr. HS, Rusty Logan- retired, Auburn HS; Mary Ellen McBee- Riverton Intermediate; Shelman Miller- Columbia HS, Jen Walsh- North Jefferson MS; Patricia WrightChalkville, MS. The first evening rehearsal is quite something. First of all, for those of us who were blessed by Conn-Selmer to have our instruments provided, the initial unboxing was hilarious to observe, especially by the sousaphone players!
By: Holly Connell
We all know the condition in which most of us inherit our marching brass instruments so to watch the looks on their faces when they were unwrapping brand new horns complete with a neck, bits and a bell that actually fit on the body was like watching kids at Christmas! I personally guarded my mellophone like my life depended on it. After the unboxing, we had to find our assigned dots as given to us in drill charts and prepare for the initial downbeat. I can think of few times when the first note has given me chills and made me smile so big that playing was out of the question, but this was one of them. 400 people that understand how to breathe together and play together with all the characteristic February/March 2024
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sounds is pure magic. Amazing Grace was our “chorale” for the trip and after this event, I will never hear it without thinking of this group playing it. There are videos available on YouTube, but there isn’t one that truly captures the depth of sound, passion and emotion played live by the group. Every rehearsal after the first required some very early mornings for transportation to various locations around Weehawken, NJ. One morning afforded us an indoor location at a local armory, but let’s just say the admonition to bring earplugs for the indoor rehearsals was one worth heeding! The reverb time in that venue was literally 7 seconds! The other mornings had us outside on a practice field at a local park directly across from lower Manhattan. Temperatures across the river were quite frigid with even our colleagues from the northern states agreeing it was cold! We were able to serenade the construction workers and local walkers/ joggers. Students from Weehawken HS even stopped by to watch rehearsal. A fun fact about our rehearsal site in NJ is that it is storied to be the location of the famed duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr! While the primary purpose of the trip was the parade performance, we had a special opportunity to do a wreath laying ceremony at the 9-11 Memorial. The National Anthem was performed along with a full band arrangement of Taps and Amazing Grace which also featured a band member on bagpipes. As if playing Amazing Grace wasn’t incredible enough, the opportunity to play it at the memorial fountains was even more emotional. 400 adults were immediately reduced to tears. Parade morning brought to life the saying that New York is the “city that doesn’t sleep.” If anyone thought that the 3 am (yes, you read that correctly!) rehearsal would only be members of performing ensembles, they were in for a surprise! Not only were there spectators walking around near the ala breve
rehearsal site, but people living in the high-rise buildings were watching from their windows and balconies! The atmosphere is truly electric from morning sound checks to the television performance. Waiting for the start gives performers the chance to see some of the floats, balloons and even the performers being featured. Several band members managed to snag photos with Jimmy Fallon and Al Roker! There was even a flash mob performance of Baby Shark as some members walked past the Baby Shark float. Once the parade steps off, the adrenaline makes the trip from Central Park to Herald Square seem relatively short. There are so many people; not just along the street but standing in windows of the high rise building or on the balconies! The crowd at Herald Square is obviously the most enthusiastic and the tv performance goes by in a flash.
Just like the trips many of us take with our students, being “back in the band” meant that sleep was minimal, buffet food lines inevitable, and the laughs were plentiful! There were those of us who listened carefully to every word of instruction, and those who had to be told to be quiet. Those who had their music memorized in July and those who were still looking at it between reps. People who could march in step with a correct 8 to 5 and those who could not seem to figure it out. Buses were loaded and unloaded multiple times each day and clothes had to be changed drum corps style most of the time. We had to remember what it is like to remember ALL the parts of your uniform (yes, I saw people with short black socks….), But if you talk to anyone who was there, you will find that everyone will tell you that it was an incredible, once-in-alifetime, musical experience and we are all wondering when and where the next one will take place.
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Ensemble Culture and Rehearsals: Back to Basics
by Hayes Bunch
attire and showing up to the concert. With the sacred time and space of the rehearsal being paramount in importance to our bands, I seem to, upon reflection, return to a few basic concepts to help ensure that the culture, content, and pacing are right at every level. I would like to offer them here. When those three elements are healthy, everything else seems to fall into place seamlessly.
“What infuses life to cold print is imagination, creativity, and beauty.” 1. Allow the students to fail to begin Warren Benson (C. Kirchoff, personal communication, February 18-20, 2016)
I
n the preceding quote, composer Warren Benson provides three exceptional goals to strive for in our music-making that also relate to the overall environment/culture of our programs. We hear the word culture used with great frequency today especially in sports media for example, when they are referring to various teams, their front offices, organizations, etc. They will reference how a certain head coach came in and changed the culture of a team or how a player affected the culture of the locker room and so forth. I think culture also fits when talking about our musical classrooms and band programs. The most logical place to start when addressing the culture of our programs is in our rehearsals. Rehearsals are the teacher’s performances, not just the concerts. Because of this, I usually find myself overthinking the rehearsal process in general. Maybe I am not alone in this. Perhaps it is because our concern for our students and the type of experience and education they receive daily never leaves us. Nothing magical happens by putting on the performance 44
again more intelligently. I ask groups to make great mistakes with big sounds, especially upon first collective ensemble readings with younger and less advanced groups. You must have a physical sound to work within the rehearsal. There can be none of what I call, “mezzo fuzziness”, simply because they are sight reading. As Mahoney (2010) mentions, tenor saxophonist Ben Webster said to music mogul Quincy Jones: “You can’t get an A if you’re afraid of an F so take a lot of chances.” That is appropriate for this point. An old teacher of mine used to say permit them to sound bad before they can sound good. It is refined over time. 2. Create an environment/culture that celebrates art holistically. Ask yourself what things are artistically and musically tangible in your classroom that engage the students from the second they enter the room. You control this. What is the first thing they hear or see when they enter your classroom? When I taught public school, I always had the finest recordings of great music playing when they entered the space as well as the names of the artists performing, the name of the work and composer, and a musical question from the previous rehearsal posted where the students
could easily see it all. We must plant seeds of knowledge and inspiration without saying a word sometimes. 3. Through score study and expectations, you can set up an environment/culture where they are not learning their parts at each rehearsal. Encourage them to come to the ensemble rehearsals knowing their parts in advance to then be able to learn and be informed by others’ parts. This arrangement requires that a relationship of trust be established with your students. And with that, try never to learn your score with them at each rehearsal or stay just one rehearsal ahead of them. If you do, your head will be buried in the score and your rehearsal energy will always be nervous and frenetic. Classroom management will also be put in jeopardy. That approach is counter to a relaxed, yet focused environment/culture. 4. To piggyback off the last statement about being informed by others’ parts, help them become aware that they are never resting in the production of sonic art. They may be tacet in certain scenarios, but they should always be listening intently to what is going on around them even when they see symbols, they learn early on in their development to stand for resting. They must know that during those rests, there may also be a peer playing a solo or another section playing a countermelody that might then be complimented by their part in a subsequent phrase. 5. The contributions of the percussion section are often compromised due to insufficient technique, a lack of players, a lack of instruments, or a lack of quality control of those instruments. I February/March 2024
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realize that smaller programs are often hamstrung by less funding, personnel, and ability. At any level, you can choose repertoire strategically and sensitively that highlights and places the strengths and possibilities of the students at the forefront while embracing pragmatism. 5a. On the note of repertoire, it is not within the scope of this writing to address programming fully but allow me to offer a few thoughts. I mentioned earlier that when the culture, content, and pacing are right, then magic can happen in our rehearsals. This is tied directly to the repertoire that we choose to share and explore with our students. In the fourth point above, I discussed the students being engaged and informed by the music happening around them even when they are tacet for example. This can only happen when the repertoire we choose presents opportunities for elements such as soloistic expression or chamber/small ensemble playing within the context of the larger group dynamic. If all our pieces incorporate homophonic textures and keep everyone bound to a safe method of scoring, then we have musicians hiding often. Every student must be accountable for every sound made. It is that important. You can stress this idea through the music if what you select promotes said accountability. The breadth of our musical programs often sets the tone of our band culture as well. Is your programming formulaic and perhaps patterned after what has worked before? Or a product of the adage “the kids love it”? If so, perhaps embracing the concept of comprehensive musicianship will help promote more thoughtful choices given to individual concert programs. If we consider areas such as key center, period, diversity, tempo, style, orchestration, etc. then perhaps we can come closer to having a more robust and fertile ground from which to harvest the seeds we plant artistically through repertoire choice. 6. With younger groups, adjust the ensemble seating so that the listening ala breve
environment changes for them. This is especially useful in concert festival music preparation where students can frankly lose focus when working on the same three pieces for months at a time. At any given rehearsal, have a tuba unexpectedly placed next to a flute or clarinet. Place a percussionist next to a saxophone, etc.
infrastructure, logistics, classroom, etc. are so precise with every possible variable accounted for in advance, that underachieving is simply the student’s own choice. Ensure that the experience of making music is easily within reach of all students if they simply follow the rules and serve the music. They then have no choice but to succeed.
7. Try not to let them wait to be expressive. If the students are allowed to learn notes and rhythms first without expressing anything, then I feel it is often too late to add musicality after the fact. You will hear students and some teachers often embrace the idea of “just let me get the notes and rhythms down first.” Again, upon the first reading of new music, encourage great mistakes, and that creates an environment/culture that compels them to be vulnerable. Joy, innovation, and creativity are only possible when we are vulnerable.
In closing, a room full of talented students will only get you so far. Talent alone does not strengthen the culture. If they are talented but incorrigible in behavior, personality, and humanness, you cannot ride the wave of their technical abilities very long. But if the ethic of hard work by committed players and warm humans is inserted and practiced in our bands, we can collectively serve our art in the highest manner. And remember, it is the students who do all the hard work all the time that will inevitably catch on and progress to greater achievements.
8. Use language that is musical and reinforces musical ideas and concepts. Instead of saying the dynamic is “2 Fs” for example, say the Italian name in question. This seems simple and pedestrian, but I hear it too often and the excuse is that it is an effort to save time. Inspire them with this small detail and they will be smarter for it. You also hear directors say just ask them to play faster, slower, louder, and softer in your feedback, and not incorporate adjectives, descriptors, or any emotional narrative. Yes, and you can also have a group that does not expand their thinking, plays just the ink, is shapeless and void of form, focuses only on the measurable/tangible elements of music making, and expresses nothing sonically. 9. Teach them to embrace the philosophy that music-making should be egoless. Teach them to focus more on what they can contribute to the ensemble/environment/culture rather than what they get out of the experience personally. Teach them to always serve the music and not themselves. 10. Set up an environment/culture where your rehearsal planning,
Reference List Mahoney, Lesley. (2010, May 31). Quincy Jones: Forget the Hype. Berklee. https://www.berklee.edu/news/1990/ quincy-jones-forget-the-hype
Hayes Bunch is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Young Harris College (GA). Bunch has been a clinician in the southeastern and midwestern U.S.A., has taught secondary and collegiate levels in Tennessee, Michigan, Texas, and South Carolina, and as a percussionist, performed on a Grammy-winning recording, abroad in China, and with artists Randy Brecker, Gordon Goodwin, and Bill Watrous. He holds a D.M.A. and M.M. in Conducting from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, an M.M. in Percussion Performance from the University of Michigan, and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Tennessee – Martin.
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From Boredom to Brilliance :
A Practical Framework for Developing Score Study Habits
S
core study is an essential component of music education and conducting, yet many novice and even experienced directors find themselves neglecting this crucial aspect of their work. In this article, I aim to provide a practical framework for developing effective score study habits. By understanding the reasons why some directors avoid score study, and eliminating common excuses, we can empower ourselves to delve into the depths of musical understanding bringing brilliance to our performances and efficiency to our rehearsals. Before delving into some strategies and practices for score study, it is important to acknowledge the reasons why many directors shy away from this critical task. By recognizing and addressing these concerns, we can pave the way for a more productive and enjoyable score study experience. One common reason for avoiding score study is the misconception that “it feels like work and is devoid of inspiration”. However, it is crucial to understand that score study is not only for the director’s benefit but also for the students. By immersing ourselves in the score, we gain a deeper understanding of the music, enabling us to guide our students effectively. Friend and composer Jon Bubbett expresses this sentiment as “The purpose of score study is to understand the music at the DNA level. Another reason directors often give for neglecting score study is the 46
by Mike Guzman
belief that the music they are teaching is not challenging enough to warrant extensive study. However, it is important to remember that quality music is quality music, regardless of difficulty level. By studying every score with equal dedication, we cultivate a practice of thoroughness and attention to detail. Eliminating Factors and Excuses To overcome the common obstacles that impede effective score study, we must establish consistency, dedicate time, and find an appropriate location. Consistency is key when it comes to score study. Just as we brush our teeth, eat, or do other activities at regular intervals, we must make score study part of our daily routine. It is essential to identify the time of day when our minds are at their clearest and establish a specific and unchanging amount of time for score study, making it a non-negotiable commitment. Choosing a suitable location for score study is equally important. Find a quiet space free from distractions, such as phones and email notifications. Create a comfortable environment that allows you to have all necessary materials readily available, including headphones, scores, February/March 2024
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pencils, paper for notes, stickies, a tempo watch or metronome, a baton, and bookmarked YouTube recordings of the pieces you are studying. While it is crucial to dedicate time to score study daily, it is not necessary to study every score in your repertoire daily. Develop your own system for selecting scores to study, ensuring you revisit each piece at regular intervals. The Score Start with a new score each time you program a piece and begin studying. Scores get dirty over time and a new copy prevents clutter and too much information on the page causing overstimulation and confusion. Older markings could have been careless marks or be from an inherited score with markings that don’t align with your interpretations, terminology, or marking system. While you will be working from a new clean score, it is important to keep old scores and reflect on the evolution of your interpretational skills. As you grow as a musician, your interpretational skills will evolve, and you can look back at how you interpreted the music in your earlier years. Another reason to keep your old scores is because there might be things you like or find helpful in the old ones. Using a new score every time you program and study a piece could become expensive, but the benefits will outweigh the cost and may even be tax deductible as a business expense. To maintain organization and efficiency, it is essential to number your scores clearly and intentionally. Sloppy numbers can lead to confusion and waste time in rehearsals or while taking notes. Choose a consistent location for numbering, whether it be at the beginning of a measure or elsewhere in the score, and ensure that your markings are neat and deliberate. to hat ng of
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Before delving into score study, establish the tempos. Knowing the desired tempo beforehand allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the music. As you progress in your study and rehearsals, tempos evolve organically, make sure to update them in the score. Additionally, define all musical terms accurately and avoid merely writing down what you think they mean. Clear definitions will guide your interpretation and help you communicate effectively with your ensemble. When marking your score, aim for neatness and precision and use a ruler for dynamics. Over-marking can lead to sensory overload and confusion during rehearsals. To maintain clarity, consider using different pencil lead colors to distinguish between different types of markings. Websites like JetPens.com offer a variety of options for high-quality writing instruments. Sticky notes can be incredibly useful during score study. They can serve as reminders for specific concerns to address during rehearsals or as prompts for areas that require improvement. However, the goal should be to remove these sticky notes from the score as soon as possible, as they can clutter the page and distract from the music itself.
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Getting into the Weeds It is crucial to remember not to step foot on the podium unless you have thoroughly studied the score. It is essential to have a clear concept of how the music should sound and internalize the tempos physically and mentally. Learning scores during rehearsals not only hampers your preparedness but negatively affects your students’ perception of your leadership and leads to inefficient rehearsals. Think of it as flying a plane while you build it! By being fully prepared, you create a conducive learning environment where every detail can be addressed effectively. Once you have established a consistent score study routine and prepared your scores, it’s time to dive into the details. I suggest a multi-level approach, encompassing macro, micro, nano, and returning to micro and macro. Begin with the macro level, conducting and taking in the entire piece while making notes and markings as needed. This approach allows you to get a holistic understanding of the music. Next, shift your focus to the micro level, where you concentrate on specific groups such as woodwinds, brass, or percussion. Next, analyze each individual line, in score order, at the nano level. This provides a deeper understanding of the nuances and intricacies of the composition and how individual lines interact. Play on your instrument, or piano or sing through each line. Finally, return to micro and then macro levels, incorporating your newfound insights. Research is another vital aspect of score study that goes beyond analyzing the music. Explore various resources, including recordings, historical information about the composer, and world events at the time of composition. Incorporate your research findings into the score, reminding yourself of details that can influence your interpretation. Engage your students in discussions about the composer, historical context, and any pertinent information associated with the piece. Sharing this knowledge with your students fosters their curiosity and deepens their understanding and appreciation of the music. Consider inviting living composers for virtual interactions or guest lectures to provide valuable insights into their compositions. Marking phrases is critical for understanding the overarching structure of the music. Create a labeling system that works for you, whether it’s differentiating melodic phrasing from inner lines or background accompaniment. Consistency in labeling is key, as it allows for clear communication and interpretation. Chordal analysis plays a vital role in score study. Rather than thinking of this as a theoretical exercise, focus on the practical implications of prominent chords. There are plenty of free online theory resources that can help. Developing a familiarity with chords helps with balancing proportions, tuning, and preemptively addressing chordal issues. Moreover, pay attention to chord voicing and orchestration, as they can present unique challenges. Recordings are invaluable tools for score study. Alternate between using recordings and singing through the music. Listening to 47
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various interpretations exposes you to different artistic choices and helps develop your own unique perspective. When studying choral pieces transcribed for band, explore both the choral and band recordings to determine which interpretation aligns best with your vision. Recordings can also assist in singing through the music, aiding in internalization, and enhancing your understanding of notes, sound, and balance. Taking preemptive measures during score study is essential for effective rehearsals. Anticipate areas that your ensemble may struggle with, such as challenging orchestration, intricate articulations, or complex rhythms. By identifying potential pitfalls in advance, you can develop strategies to address these issues during rehearsals, ensuring smoother performances. Rehearsals Recording rehearsals is a valuable practice facilitating the evaluation of your ensemble’s progress. Utilize a notebook to jot down mistakes or issues as you listen. For new directors, note potential solutions to problems you encounter. I recommend two ways of listening back to rehearsal recordings. The first is the stop method. This is when you hear a mistake, stop the recording, write down the problem, and a possible solution, and then continue listening. The second is the continuous method where you listen to the recording without stopping and list issues as if you were an adjudicator in a live performance. This would include taking quick notes of problems so you can go back and write down possible solutions. You will find the two approaches yield different outcomes
in the volume of notes. This process of critically listening, diagnosing, and prescribing serves as a great way of building your ensemble listening skills. You must develop your own system for playing back and using rehearsal recordings. In conclusion, score study should not be thought of as merely a time-consuming chore but a transformative process allowing us to uncover the depth and beauty of the music we teach. By embracing the practical framework outlined in this article, you can embark on a journey of continuous growth and discovery. Remember that score study is not limited to challenging repertoire; every piece deserves careful examination. It is a process of self-discovery and development benefiting both you as a music educator and your students. Developing consistent and effective score study habits establishes a solid foundation for your teaching, enabling you to guide your students with confidence and precision. From understanding chord progressions to marking phrases and conducting detailed analysis, score study equips you with the knowledge and insights necessary to bring out the brilliance in your students’ performances. As you progress on this score study journey, do not forget the power of reference recordings, research, and the importance of recording and analyzing rehearsals. Continuously seek opportunities to enhance your understanding of the music, whether through listening to various interpretations or exploring historical context. By investing time and effort into score study, you enrich your musical understanding and create a more meaningful and impactful experience for your students. So, fellow music educators, let us embrace the challenge of score study with enthusiasm and dedication. Let us transform our initial boredom or lack of inspiration into brilliance and excitement. Through a consistent and thoughtful approach to score study, we can unlock the full potential of the music we teach and ignite a lifelong passion for music in our students. Let the scores come alive and may the journey of score study be a never-ending source of joy, growth, and musical discovery.
Mike Guzman, the newly appointed Assistant Director of Bands at Texas A&M University – Commerce, boasts a prestigious musical background. With experience at renowned institutions like Hewitt – Trussville High School (AL), Tuscaloosa County High School (AL), and Miami Southwest High School (FL), he is celebrated for his impactful contributions to music education. Mr. Guzman's ensembles consistently shine at prestigious events, including the Alabama Music Educator’s Conference and Music for All National Concert Band Festival. Holding degrees from the University of Miami and Florida International University, he is currently pursuing a doctorate in Music Education at the University of Alabama.
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Thompson High School Wind Ensemble
Pinson Valley High School Percussion Ensemble 50
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Jacksonville State University A Capella Choir
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Fairhope High School Wind Ensemble
UNA Collegiate Singers and Chamber Choir Dauphin Jr. High School Symphonic Band
Hewitt-Trussville High School Chamber Choir
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Buckhorn High School Wind Ensemble
Northridgge High School Jazz Ensemble
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From the Alabama Jazz Collective...
Jazz Literature Reviews and Rehearsal Techniques
Part 2
Part 1 of this article was published in the October/November 2023 Ala Breve
Greetings from the Alabama Jazz Collective! This article features literature reviews from Chris Kozak (UA), and rehearsal techniques from Dr. Dave Camwell (Troy University) and myself. As always, please reach out to any of us if you have any questions or need assistance! Andy Nevala
Christopher Kozak ckozak@ua.edu
Every semester brings new challenges when determining a program of music for any band. Whether you’re preparing for a festival, tour, guest artist, or recording session, it can be a daunting task choosing where to find music that will highlight your ensemble or soloists yet challenge them from a learning perspective. One thing I would like to add is to be cautious and choose a balanced repertoire that doesn’t put too much pressure on the strongest players in your bands. I have seen this occur at all levels of study, collegiate and high school so not falling prey to this pitfall can be helpful in selecting your repertoire. Leaning on the strong parts of the band when other sections or players aren’t quite there yet can be more 54
counterproductive than we realize. It’s tempting to always put the spotlight on our stronger players but choosing tunes that truly employ all members to varying degrees can help build morale and confidence for younger players or students not as well versed in the style as others. You may be saying, “Well DUH…I select literature for MY ENTIRE BAND…” but how often is it that the strongest soloist gets all of the solos, or a member of the rhythm section is featured on every tune, or the band only wants to play funky tunes? Find the features for your strongest players, be diverse in your repertoire selection, but keep the focus on the ensemble. It is inspiring to see a band lift each other up to play music at the highest level they can. I try to remind myself every year that no one part is greater than the whole and hope that rings true with each of my students. Jazz truly is an art of communication and something we should remind our students daily by supporting them as a unit. Recently, a high school band director contacted me about repertoire for their young jazz band. I had mentioned that if they hadn’t done so, to check out the series, “Jazz Classics for the Young Ensemble.” Outstanding writers and arrangers such as Sammy Nestico, Paul Murtha, Mark Taylor, and John Berry to name a few, offer a place for your younger bands to really develop their skills as an ensemble with enough room for soloists too. Most of the tunes are standards arranged for a younger band and in some cases based on the professional versions of those same tunes. They offer enough of a challenge
yet are playable for any solid Grade 1 or 2 bands depending on their skill levels. Check them out at most any online music dealer. Thanks to my colleagues in this article who have offered some incredible perspective and we hope it offers some insight into preparing your bands. Keep encouraging your students to play and listen to Jazz every day. As always, you can contact us with any questions. We are here to serve in the name of Jazz.
Dave Camwell dcamwell@troy.edu
From middle school through graduate school, jazz band rehearsals were always my favorite part of the day. I have been very lucky to have had some fantastic jazz ensemble directors, and I try to take the best techniques I’ve benefited from over the last 30+ years and use them with my own students. Here are some that I have found to be the most useful:
1. Rehearsal formation: It can be helpful to experiment with different formations from the standard block formation. Due to the physical attributes of your rehearsal space, block formation can often result in problems such as players not being able to hear their February/March 2024
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section, other players in the band, or just too much noise in general. For example, if your band is set up in four rows (saxes, trombones, trumpets, rhythm section), the trumpets will have too much drums in their ears and rarely be able to hear the saxophones. I have found that using a square formation can be very helpful for clarity, which can make rehearsals more efficient and more pleasurable for everyone. When the concert is approximately one week away, it makes sense to then change the structure of the band to one that will be used for the actual concert. This method is employed at the University of Northern Colorado (I attended UNC from 2000-2002), as well as many other schools throughout the nation. 2. Encourage sectionals: The goal of every director includes having students who don’t assume rehearsal is for learning their parts. Ideally, the expectation should be that players learn their parts in solo practice, as well as sectionals that occur at least once a week. The best rehearsals (of any type of ensemble) are to learn how the separate musical pieces fit together to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. Slogging through rhythms and notes that should have been learned before rehearsal is one of the least rewarding ways to spend time together as a group. Set the expectations high from the beginning; students will always want to be a part of a group that is excellent in terms of expectation and resulting performance. 3. The character of a director: The finest ensemble directors can assume an extroverted character of themselves during rehearsal. More than just teaching the basic and finer points of music, the question of how to motivate, inspire, and relate to your students is an important one! I think enhancing the best parts of your personality can be very helpful; elements of humor, earnestness, skill, knowledge, and relatability all play a role in getting the very best out of your students. It’s a bit like being the ringmaster at a circus - you are in control of the pacing and tone of the rehearsal, ala breve
and it’s important to react and be aware of the elements that bring out the finest results from your musicians. The personal and musical aspects of music making are deeply intertwined, and one of the most important things you can do as a director is to find the right recipe for both that results in a deep connection with your students. 4. Objective review: It can be very useful to video record your rehearsals; are you coming across in the way that you think you are? How is your tone of voice? Are you speaking with enough volume and clarity for everyone to hear you? Does the band look happy and engaged? How much talking is there relative to rehearsing? Are you spending too much time explaining a concept, using five minutes of rehearsal time when thirty seconds would have been better? How is the flow of your rehearsal? These and many other aspects of the rehearsal process can be accurately assessed by watching back video of your rehearsal. When we are in the moment, we often don’t fully realize and observe the full picture. To be able to assess what aspects of the rehearsal went well, in addition to those that could be improved, is a very helpful, albeit occasionally humbling, process to go through. I would suggest at least one rehearsal a month be recorded and then later viewed by the director. I guarantee you will find things that fill you with pride, as well as things that you will adjust for the benefit of all in the next rehearsal.
Andy Nevala anevala@jsu.edu
Jazz Band rehearsals are still my favorite time of day! For an effective rehearsal, I go in with a plan but am prepared to pivot at any second. I have an idea of
which songs and sections I want to hit, but sometimes as we are playing, something else needs to be fixed. We stop and fix it, then move on. I try to spend no more than 15 minutes on one song, as our rehearsals are only an hour each, and we are playing for different events in different situations that require different selections of literature, so we have to move quickly. We do sectionals outside of class, and if I have established players who know the concepts, I can leave them to run sectionals on their own. Sectionals are where they can really work out parts as a section, so we can focus on the band playing together as a group in rehearsals. My jazz rehearsals this fall have ranged from teaching how to come in on beat ‘4’ (comes after ‘3’) to back-accent articulation, styles, sight-reading, and ensemble blending. I spend the first few weeks reading charts - forcing them to sight-read. Sight-reading is the most important skill to work professionally in most situations, and often the weakest skill students come to school with. This is the most difficult concept to teach in the marching-rich environment we are working in, where students have a week or two of band camp and rehearse every day for months to learn 6 minutes of music. To put it all in perspective, my first Glenn Miller Orchestra performance was a 4-hour, no rehearsal, play the part, or get-sent-home situation. If my Jazz Ensemble directors hadn’t forced me to learn how to sight-read, I would not have lasted more than a few days! Once we start working on charts, I start recording rehearsals. This is truly the only way to hear everything that is going on! I make little post-it notes and put them in the score, so we can hit those spots at the next rehearsal. Putting that time in on your end, before rehearsal, is essential to preparing your group to play at its top potential!
We hope you have enjoyed this issue’s article! Again, please feel free to reach out at any time!
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Band Music Reviews by Dr. Jeremy Stovall
I hope everyone had a restful break and a great start to the new semester. Like many of you, I was excited to attend the Midwest Clinic in December, and always look forward to hearing the new works that are performed each year. Below are several new pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed at this year’s clinic.
aggressive work uses the percussion section to establish a strong rhythmic pulse. Recording and score: www.alfred.com/clutch/p/00-50662/.
Texas at Austin. This grade 2.5 work musically depicts the Pacific Northwest and features solos for flute, alto sax, and trumpet. Long melodic lines over rhythmic ostinatos also characterize this work.
Chris Bernotas - Among the Stars, You’ll Shine (2023) Bernotas is the co-author of the “Sound Innovations for Concert Band: Ensemble Development” method books. This grade 1 piece is a perfect choice to develop lyrical, expressive playing. It correlates to Sound Innovations, Book 1, Level 6. Recording and score: www.alfred.com/among-the-starsyoull-shine/p/00-49963/. Brian Balmages - Clutch (2023) This grade 1 work was commissioned by the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA). This 56
Joshua Hobbs - Always (2024) Hobbs has been selected as the winner of the National Band Association’s Young Composer Mentor Project and the Dallas Wind Symphony Brass Fanfare Competition Contest. This grade 2.5 piece, dedicated to his wife, is a lyrical work that will help develop your ensemble’s musicianship.
Recording and score: www.alfred.com/evergreenescapades/p/98-B1873/.
Recording and score: www.wingertjones.com/product/pbw2 401-always-hobbs/. Adrian B. Sims - Evergreen Escapades (2022) Sims is a graduate of the University of Maryland with degrees in Music Education and Composition and is currently pursuing a degree in Composition from the University of February/March 2024
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Andrew David Perkins - Skeletonic (2022) Perkins is a GRAMMY-nominated music educator with degrees from the Berklee College of Music, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University. From the composer: “Designed to come together in a few rehearsals, this piece features a simplified bass line, mostly staying on the tonic. Get it? Skele-Tonic? Great if you’ve just moved players to tuba, bass clarinet, or bari sax, and they’re still getting used to it, and can only handle a few pitches. Doubling the mallet parts on marimba and vibes is a great option if you’ve got extra players.” This quirky grade 2.5 piece would be a great addition to a spring concert program. Recording and score: https://www.andrewdavidperkins.com /store/p51/SKELETONIC_%28Gr.2 .5%29.html.
whispers of the word “peace.” Recording and score: www.calanpublications.com/shalom/.
Recording and score: www.randallstandridge.com/musiccatalog/concert_band_music_2/Anima tion%20(Episode%201:%20WABBIT!).
Adrian B. Sims - Orbital (2023) This second inclusion from Sims is a wonderful grade 4 piece. From the composer: “Referring to the orbit of an electron, planet, or anything within the limits of one’s imagination, this work is an orbital in all meanings of the word. The music spirals around multiple metric and rhythmic pulses, key areas, and motivic ideas.” Recording and score: www.alfred.com/orbital/p/00-50664/.
Dan Forrest - Shalom (2023) Dr. Forrest, currently the Adjunct Professor of Composition at Furman University, is primarily known for his choral repertoire. This grade 3 work was originally composed for choir as a prayer for peace during the pandemic. It features a simple melody over a flowing accompaniment, followed by ala breve
Randall Standridge - AnimationEpisode 1: WABBIT! (2023) This grade 4 work is an homage to composer Carl Stalling and his scores to Warner Bros. cartoons, especially the Looney Tunes. This piece is a lot of fun, and would be a perfect way to end a concert!
I hope you all enjoy listening to and studying these pieces as much as I have. I think they all are wonderful additions to our repertoire. Best of luck to you and your students through your spring concerts and MPA performances. Please reach out if I can ever be of assistance!
Dr. Jeremy Stovall Assistant Director of Bands Associate Professor Jacksonville State University jstovall@jsu.edu 57
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General Music Reviews
by Jason Jackson strumming patterns using the rhythmic building blocks that you can print out. The beauty of having so many options for a single song is that you can pick and choose which pathway(s) work best for your students. While the focus of most of the book is mainly on chord playing, there are a few songs that include a finger-picking pathway, if you choose. Pedagogically, the songs are presented in a logical order from easy one-chord songs to more challenging I/IV/V chord songs with trickier chord shapes and chord movements. Each song includes a box at the top of the page with a quick breakdown of the related ukulele, rhythmic, and melodic elements. Rhythmic and melodic elements also loosely progress from simple quarter/eighth note mi-so-la patterns to more complex rhythms and fully diatonic melodies with functional harmonies. There are boxes of “teacher talk” sprinkled throughout the pages with tips on sequencing through chord changes with your class, how to analyze songs before teaching them, and lots of other helpful information.
Elemental ‘Ukulele: Pathways and Possibilities by Lorelei Batisla-ong & Roger Sams © 2020 Music is Elementary https://musiciselementary.com/product /elemental-ukulele-pathwayspossibilities/ This resource uses various teaching strategies and learning activities to teach chords needed to play 15 different folk songs on ukulele. The introduction includes a few notes about the history and origins of the ukulele with recommendations for digging deeper to better understand and appreciate the instrument. Each of the 15 songs is laid out in the same format as the Purposeful ala breve
Pathways series by Roger Sams & BethAnn Hepburn (https://musiciselementary.com/produc t/purposeful-pathways-book-1-book/). Each song has approximately 3 to 6 “pathways” or strategies/activities to choose from. Some of these pathways include learning the song through reading rhythms or melodies, adding part singing, adding body percussion, Orff instruments, recorders, composing, creative movement, and strategies for practicing chords. For example, in the first lesson, “We are Dancing in the Forest”, you may choose to have students play the singing game, or learn the C chord on ukulele, or compose
While the content of the book is by no means lacking, I feel like the accompanying PowerPoint visuals (included as a free download) truly make this a great resource and save so much prep time. Again, these are in the same style as the other Purposeful Pathway books. The block notation used to show and practice chord changes is especially nice and easy for children to understand.
Jason Jackson teaches K-6 general music at Daphne East Elementary School and is PresidentElect of the Elementary Divsion 59
AMEA Division Events
2023 - 2024
Alabama Vocal Association EVENT Fall Workshop All-State Auditions
OCS/ME
Solo & Ensemble
State Choral Performance Assessment
DATE
LOCATION
September 8, 2023
University of Montevallo
November 1-2, 2023
Christ Episcopal Church, Tuscaloosa
November 3, 2023
Gadsden City High School
November 6, 2023
Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile
November 7, 2023
Saint James School, Montgomery
November 8-9, 2023
Mayfair Church of Christ, Huntsville
District I: November 30
Virtual
District II: November 14
Virtual
District III: November 28
Virtual
District IV: November 28
Virtual
District V: November 27
Virtual
District VI: November 16
Virtual
District VII: November 28
Virtual
District I: March 20
University of North Alabama
District II: April 4-5
University of Alabama
District III: March 13-15
Hope Church Gardendale
District IV: February 16
Jacksonville State University
District V: February 22-23
First Baptist Church Huntsville
District VI: April 2
Tallassee High School
District VII: October 17
Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile
District VII: March 19
Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile
District I: March 20
University of North Alabama
District I: March 21
First Baptist Church Decatur
District II: April 4-5
University of Alabama
District III: March 13-15
Hope Church Gardendale
District IV: April 12
Gadsden City High School
District V: March 6-7
Grissom High School
District VI: April 2
Tallassee High School
District VII: March 19
Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile
Elementary/General Division August 26, 2023
East Alabama General Music Workshop
Auburn
October 27, 2023
Elementary Music Festival
Metropolitan Church of God, Birmingham
November 1-4, 2023
AOSA Professional Development National Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico
January 18-20, 2024
AMEA Professional Development Conference
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
March 15-17, 2024
National OAKE Conference
Chicago, Illinois
March 22, 2024
Elementary All-State Choir
Huntsville, Alabama
AMEA Collegiate Division October 29, 2023
Collegiate Summit
Troy University
January 18-20, 2024
AMEA Professional Development Conference
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
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February/March 2024
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Alabama Bandmasters Association DISTRICT
EVENT
LOCATION
DATE
Statewide
All State Jazz Recordings
http://www.alaband.org/
Oct. 31-Nov. 14, 2023
10/27/2023
AMEA Conference
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
January 18-20, 2024
1/6/2024
All-State Jazz Festival
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
January 18-20, 2024
12/5/2023
All State Solo Festival
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
April 24, 2024
3/1/2024
All State Festival
Von Braun Center, Huntsville
April 25-27, 2024
3/1/2024
District Fall Meeting
James Clemons High School, Madison
August 21, 2023
8/14/2024
All State/ District HB Auditions
Huntsville High School, Huntsville
January 26-27, 2024
12/22/2023
District Honor Band
Grissom High School, Huntsville
February 16-17, 2024
2/5/2024
MPA #1
Hartselle High School, Hartselle
February 27-29, 2024
2/6/2024
MPA #2
James Clemons High School, Madison
March 5-7, 2024
2/13/2024
Solo and Ensemble #1
Liberty Middle School, Madison
April 6th, 2024
3/16/2024
Solo and Ensemble #2
Priceville High School, Decatur
May 4th, 2024
4/13/2024
District Fall Meeting
Gadsden City High School, Gadsden
August 22, 2023
All State Auditions
Albertville High School, Albertville
January 27, 2024
District Honor Band
Albertville High School, Albertville
February 9 - 10, 2024
2/2/24
MPA
Gadsden City High School, Gadsden
February 27 - March 1, 2024
2/2/24
Solo and Ensemble
Boaz High School, Boaz
May 4, 2024
4/5/23
District Fall Meeting
Zoom Meeting
August 22, 2023
All State Auditions
Muscle Shoals High School, Muscle Shoals
January 27, 2024
District Honor Band
Russellville High School, Russellville
February 9-10, 2024
MPA
University of North Alabama, Florence
March 5-7, 2024
Solo and Ensemble
Muscle Shoals Middle School, Muscle Shoals
May 4, 2024
District Fall Meeting
Oak Mountain High School
September 11, 2023
All State Auditions
Hoover High School
January 27, 2024
District Honor Band
Oak Mountain High School
February 23 - 24, 2024
2/5/24
MPA #1
Oak Mountain High School
March 4 - 7, 2024
1/12/24
MPA #2
Thompson High School
March 11 - 13, 2024
1/12/24
Solo and Ensemble
Bumpus Middle School
May 4, 2024
4/12/24
District Spring Meeting
Oak Mountain High School
February 24, 2024
District Fall Meeting
Zoom Meeting
August 22, 2023
All State/District HB Auditions
Brookwood Middle School
January 27, 2024
District Honor Band
Moody Music Building (UA)
February 16-17, 2024
2/2/2024
MPA Solo and Ensemble #1 Solo and Ensemble #2 District Fall Meeting All State Auditions District Honor Band MPA Solo and Ensemble District Fall Meeting All State Auditions MPA District Honor Band Solo and Ensemble District Spring Meeting District Fall Meeting All State Auditions MPA District Honor Band District Spring Meeting Solo and Ensemble #1 Solo and Ensemble #2
Moody Music Building (UA) Marbury High School Brookwood High School Auburn HS Band Room Opelika HS Auburn JHS Auburn HS East Samford School Barton Academy TBA Baker High School Daphne High School TBA TBA TBA Coppinville Junior High School Enterprise Performing Arts Center Enterprise Performing Arts Center Enterprise High School W.S. Neal HS Houston Academy
March 5-8, 2024 April 11, 2024 April 13, 2024 August 12, 2023 January 27, 2024 February 16-17, 2024 February 27-29, 2024 April 20, 2024 August 21, 2024 January 27, 2024 March 4-8, 2024 March 14-15, 2024 May 4, 2024 May 20, 2024 August 21, 2023 January 27, 2024 March 5-7, 2024 March 8-9, 2024 March 8, 2024 May 4, 2024 May 11, 2024
2/13/24 3/22/24 3/22/24
District 1
REG. DEADLINE
Spring Meeting District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
ala breve
12/22/2023
12/22/2023 2/2/24 2/12/2024 4/12/24 12/15/2023
12/15/2023
12/15/2023 2/5/24 2/8/24 4/5/24 12/22/2023 2/2/2023 2/16/2023 4/12/2024
12/22/2023 2/12/24 2/12/24 4/19/24 4/19/24
61
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‣ Generous Scholarships Available for Music Majors and Minors ‣ All members of the Jaguar Marching Band receive a scholarship ‣ Music and Jaguar Marching Band scholarships are stackable with other USA Academic Awards
October 14, 2023 South Alabama Marching Band Championships November 11, 2023 Jaguar Marching Honor Band December 8-10, 2023 USA Concert Honor Band
Audition Dates January 6, 2024 February 3, 2024 March 16, 2024 April 6, 2024
Degree Programs BM in Music Education BM in Performance BM with Elective Studies in Music Business BM with Elective Studies in Specific Outside Fields MM in Music Education MM in Performance MM in Collaborative Keyboard Music Minor
To View Audition Requirements visit southalabama.edu/music or jaguarmarchingband.org USA offers in-state tuition to all out-of-state students awarded an admission scholarship for academic merit at the time of admission University of South Alabama, Department of Music | LPAC 1072 5751 USA Drive South Mobile AL 36688 | 251-460-6136 | usamusic@southalabama.edu
www.southalabama.edu/music | facebook.com/southalabamamusic
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University of Montevallo Department of Music 205-665-6670 montevallo.edu/music
@montevallomusic
@um_musicdepartment
Events For Middle & High School Students Sept. 28, 2023 Oct. 15, 2023 Nov. 4, 2023 Dec. 2, 2023 Jan. 29, 2024 Feb. 23-24, 2024 March 1-3, 2024
Festival of Voices Flute Day Single Reed Symposium All-State Band Clinic Choral Festival Day Middle School Honor Band High School Honor Band
On-campus auditions for scholarships Feb. 10, 2024 March 2, 2024
Honor Band participants only
March 9, 2024
Scan the QR code to learn more
Virtual auditions available upon request. For more information, visit montevallo.edu/music/audition.
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