May/June 2019 Ala Breve

ala breve

Inside:

Improving Show Design with Virtual Collaboration

Keith Anderson

Finding Alabama’s Voice

Brady McNeil

William Denison’s Legacy

Michael Bird

A Call for Collaboration and Reflection

Matt Leder

Planning for the Final Days of the School Year

Jim Knight and Greg Gumina (Phi Beta Mu)

The Official Publication of the Alabama Music Educators Association

AMEA Governing Board 2018-2019

President Greg Gumina Shades Valley High School 6100 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL 35210 (205) 956-4638

ggumina85@gmail.com

Immediate Past President Susan Smith 104 Smith Hall Troy, AL 36082 (334) 670-3322

ssmith26024@troy.edu

President, AOA Guy Harrison 218 Goodwin Music Building Auburn University, AL 36849 (334) 844-8192

gfh0002@auburn.edu

President, AMEA Collegiate DeLee Benton dbenton@forum.montevallo.edu

Industry Representative

Becky Lightfoot Arts Music Shop 3030 East Blvd Montgomery, AL 36116 334/271-2787

beckyl@artsmusicshop com

Executive Director

Editor, Ala Breve Garry Taylor 1600 Manor Dr NE Cullman, AL 35055 (256) 636-2754

amea@bellsouth.net

President-Elect

David Raney Sparkman High School 2616 Jeff Road Harvest, AL 35749 256-837-0331 draney@madison.k12.al.us

Recording Secretary Carla Gallahan

113 Long Hall Troy University Troy, AL 36082 (334) 670-3502 recording_secretary@myamea.org

President, AVA

Megan Jones Decatur High School 1011 Prospect Drive Decatur, AL 35601 (256) 552- 3011 presidentofava@gmail.com

AMEA Collegiate Advisor

Edward (Ted) Hoffman University of Montevallo Station 6670 Davis Music Building 308 Montevallo, AL 35115 (205) 665-6668 ehoffman@montevallo.edu

Assistant Executive Director

Rusty Logan 2020 Janabrooke Lane Auburn, AL 36830 (334) 663-1702 rlogan9853@gmail.com

Treasurer/Registrar

Pat Stegall

AMEA Registration PO Box 3385 Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

treasurer_registrar@myamea.org

President, ABA

Doug Farris Brewer High School 59 Eva Road Somerville, AL 35670 (256) 621-0540

djfarris@morgank12.org

President, Elem/Gen

Phil Wilson Ogletree Elementary School 737 Ogletree Road Auburn, AL 36830 prwilson@auburnschools.org

President, Higher Education

Mildred Lanier Jefferson State Community College (205) 983-5309

mlanier@jeffersonstate.edu

Alabama Department of Education Arts Education Specialist Andy Meadows 50 North Ripley Street Montgomery, Alabama 36104 (334) 353-1191

ameadows@ALSDE.edu

Garry Taylor, Editor & Advertising Manager 1600 Manor Dr NE Cullman, AL 35055 (256) 636-2754 executive_director@bellsouth net

ADVERTISING & COPY DEADLINES

Fall - August/September (Back to School) issue: July 15

Winter - October/November (Conference) issue: September 15

Spring - May/June (All-State) issue: January 15

Summer - May/June (Digital Only)

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.

Cover Photo: Greg Gumina ala breve

Greg Gumina, AMEA President

Finish Strong!

Hello AMEA!

I hope you have had a very productive school year full of high quality, sequential, standards-based units of instruction, and wonderful performances. We are the protectors and advocates of our beautiful art form, and we also possess a noble profession. Closing down a school year can be both enjoyable and sorrowful at the same time. So let’s make the best out of the time we have left in this academic year. I have chosen to share some information with you in this article from both the state and federal levels. My hope is that you will read through, get motivated, and take action where necessary.

Arts Alliance Meeting

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Alabama Arts Education Alliance Pre-Summit Conference. Representatives from Theater, Visual Arts, Dance, and of course Music were present and we discussed many topics throughout the day. Our organization was the largest and most organized of the Professional Organizations represented at the Summit, but the other areas were well represented by distinguished professionals and contributed great ideas to the discussions. The meeting was administrated by Andy Meadows, Arts Specialist with the Alabama State Department of Education. Some of the topics of the day were organizations’ strengths and weaknesses, Artistic Literacy Consortium, advocacy, Arts in Alabama Schools Month, Arts Signing Day, certification pathways, On-line arts courses, Arts Mega Conference, and next steps for each area of discussion.

NAfME Monthly Update Highlights

A grassroots action alert has been activated for members to write to Congress in support of fully funding Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act following the release of the President’s budget for FY20, where he zeroed out appropriations for this section of the education law. Title IV, Part A is known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) and is a block formula grant with a wide range of allowable uses. It allows States, LEA’s, schools, and local communities to provide students with access to a wellrounded education, improve school conditions for student learning, and improve the use of technology in order to improve academic achievement and digital literacy. I encourage you to contact your Federal Representatives in Washington and encourage them to fully fund Title IV, Part A. In other news, NAfME membership numbers are strong and growing. Active Members, Retired Members, Collegiate Members, TRI-M Chapters, and TRI-M Members all showed growth from 2018 to 2019.

Teacher Shortage and Teacher Raises

There is a nationwide teacher shortage coming, and depending on which data you look at, it could be disastrous for schools and students. Alabama is no exception. Many, including our state Superintendent Eric Mackey, are calling it a crisis. This situation is not expected to drastically impact our profession, but we must always be vigilant. According to the Director of Human Resources with the Jefferson County School System, prior to 2013, there were approximately 12% of high school graduates who

pursued education as a career. Since 2013 that number has dropped to 4%. Teachers who entered service after 2013 are only staying in the teaching profession for an average of 5 years. 2013 is the year that the Tier II Retirement plan was put into place. The teachers in Alabama who were hired after

We all see the finish line together, but we can’t win the race if we stop short ...

Let’s be great examples to our students, and finish strong!

2013 have no option for early retirement at 25 years of service, cannot retire until 62 years of age, have a lower percentage donated to their retirement accounts, and cannot accumulate sick leave time towards retirement credit. Recently a plan was introduced to allow Tier II employees to opt into a new Tier III plan which allows employees to serve for 30 years, and they would have the same percentage donated toward their retirement as Tier I employees. While Tier III would be an improvement over Tier II, it is still not equivalent to Tier I. Let’s hope that our Tier II generation teachers are afforded the opportunity at a better future. In other news from Montgomery, Governor Kay Ivey has proposed a 4% pay raise for school employees next year. PEEHIP is also fully funded in the Governor’s plan, so there would be no insurance increase for teachers.

GAAME Act

Last Summer Congresswoman Velazquez and Senator Testor introduced the Guarantee Access to Arts and Music Education (GAAME) into discussions on Capitol Hill. The National Association for Music Education applauds the introduction of and wholeheartedly endorses the GAAME Act (H.R. 1676 and S. 885). If passed, this legislation would provide language articulating the ability for school districts to use their Title I, Part A funds to improve access to sequential music and arts education for disadvantaged and low-income students, including programs taught by certified music educators. The GAAME Act’s reinforcement that Title I’s school-wide and targeted assistance funds can be used to support music and arts education aligns with NAfME’s mission, which is to advance music education by promoting the understanding and making of music by all. Studies have shown that in-school music programs are highly valuable in engaging students by improving their overall participation and attendance, especially for students deemed at-risk. Furthermore, the benefits of music programs transcend typical quantifiable markers of academic achievement. Music

Education at all grade levels has also been shown to support the development of essential 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. When students are denied a quality music education, they are denied the ability to hone skills valuable for success in life. I have a feeling your Alabama Advocacy Team will be advocating for the GAAME Act on Capitol Hill when we visit Washington, D.C. in June.

Summer PD Opportunities

Almost every day I receive an email (or ten) about a summer professional development opportunity, some of them in very desirable locales. Music Educators might be the best education professionals at seeking continuing education and professional development. We are also a group who is typically very willing to share what we have learned with others in our beloved field. So whether you plan to travel or stay more local, I would encourage you to seek a great professional

development opportunity this summer to both increase your effectiveness in the classroom and benefit your students. Our students deserve the best “us” that we can be.

Finish Strong

As we close down this school year, I would encourage you to get plenty of rest, take care of your own health, and finish strong. Teach as hard as you can all the way through your last opportunity to see your students. We are all tired and weary at this time of year, as are our students. We all see the finish line together, but we can’t win the race if we stop short of the finish line. So let’s be great examples to our students, and finish strong.

Music Education is AWESOME in Alabama!

Respectfully Submitted,

Greg Gumina, AMEA President

AMEA Industry/Institutional Membership 2018-19

AMEA

Arts Music Shop, 3030 East Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36116

Bailey Brothers Music Company, 4673 Highway 280 Suite 7, Birmingham, AL 35242

Halftime USA Band Front Camps, P.O. Box 66, Wetumpka, AL 36092

John M. Long School of Music, School of Music, Troy, AL 36082

JW Pepper, 9053 Riverside Pkwy, Lithia Springs, GA 30122

Kaleidoscope Adventures, 7081 Grand National Drive Ste. 110, Orlando, FL 32819

Landmark Tour and Travel, 704 37th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222

Marchmaster Inc., P.O. Box 73379, Newnan, GA 30271

QuaverMusic.com, 1706 Grand Ave., Nashville, TN 37212

Thomas Tours, Inc., 2405 12th Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37204

University of South Alabama, LPAC 1072, 5751 USA Drive South, Mobile, AL 36688

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.

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

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!

General Music Reviews

“Welcome in the Spring” Morris and Sword Dances for Children

Compiled, annotated and arranged by Paul Kerlee

Sword Dancing in Elementary School? Yes!

by Deanna Bell

This book is filled with exciting dances from the English countryside that were brought to America at the turn of the century. These dances include the clashing of swords, clapping, shouting, and dancing.

The book has a CD with accompaniment tracks and Orff arrangements for fifteen songs. The easy step-by-step instructions include photos for additional help.

I learned about this book during Orff Level III at Samford University. During movement class, Jennifer Donnovan taught us the “North Skelton Sword Dance.” It was one of my favorite activities and I was so excited to share it with my students. So, I spray-painted twenty-five yard sticks and taught the dance to my kids. They LOVED it! The goal was to clash swords, dance, and then weave the swords together to make a star. I taught this to third graders and they performed it at their grade level program. I used the Orff arrangement and featured a third grader on cello performing the melody. It was a hit!

In 2017, Kate Donaldson, Trudye Confessore and I attend the AOSA National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. There, we attended a session with Kris Olson about Morris Dances. She was dressed in an elaborate costume and she shared many reading and math connections to the songs in this book. Next time I do the dance, we will add costumes!

I have learned so much from my Orff and Kodály Levels. I hope you will consider this a part of your professional development. Samford University is offering Levels II and III June 17-28, 2019 and the University of Montevallo is offering Kodály Levels I, II, and III July 8-19. Please follow @AlabamaAosa and @AlabamaKodaly on twitter for up to date information on Levels courses

Wishing you all the best this summer!!

Deanna Bell

Music Teacher, Vestavia Hills Elementary East Adjunct Professor, UAB

Phil Wilson -  President, Elementary/General Division

For Good

In the final act of the Broadway musical hit Wicked, Elphaba and Glinda bid farewell to each other by singing the song “For Good”. One phrase expresses my feelings for this moment.

“I’ve heard it said That people come into our lives for a reason Bringing something

October 18, 2019 at the Eastmont Baptist Church in Montgomery. Melissa McIntyre, our new festival director, has already been hard at work securing clinicians, preregistering schools and a host of other things. We are very fortunate to have as clinicians Dr. Madeline Bridges from Belmount University, and our own Dr. Becky Halliday from the University of Montevallo. Please see our Facebook page for the clinician’s biographies and to sign-up. For more information, contact Melissa McIntyre Ameafestival@gmail.com. Also, please make plans to attend our joint workshop on Saturday, October 19, 2019 where Dr. Bridges and Dr. Halliday will continue to instruct us.

-Glinda

Over the past two years, you trusted me to lead the Elementary Division and while I hope I earned and sustained your trust, something unique happened: YOU changed me. Whether through our talks, our countless hours of singing and dancing alongside each other, or our sharing of great ideas, I believe we became better together. My personal growth is more apparent in how I teach my classes, seek out meaningful professional development and even how I interact with my colleagues and it’s all because of you. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to learn and grow with you. I truly have been changed For Good!

As the school year draws to a close, know that what you have done for your students, school and community has not gone unnoticed. Your dedication to the music discipline is apparent in everything you do, and you are thought of highly for it. How many times this year have you received emails from parents thanking you for what you do? How many kid notes and drawings have you found hidden in the strangest places in your room after a long and hard day? How many former students still run to hug you in public or send you social media messages of thanks? I’m sure these instances are innumerable, all because you came in to lives and changed them. How many students can you say changed you? Over the summer as you recharge your batteries, ponder these questions, remember these students, cherish each moment and prepare for the next school year as a new group of students will come into your life and change you For Good.

Speaking of For Good, I hope that you will continue your support of the 2019-2021 Elementary Board of Directors.

President: Betty Wilson

President-Elect: Sarah McLendon

Treasurer: Lori Zachary

Secretary: Rob Lyda

Hospitality: Kristi Howze

Past-President: Phil Wilson

Festival Director: Melissa McIntyre

Please continue support our Elementary Music Festival on Friday,

Remember that our 2020 AMEA Professional Development Conference is moving to back to Montgomery and will occur on January 16-18, 2020. Please consider applying for your choral group to perform at the 2020 conference. The deadline is June 1st. Also, we want to know about the great things you are doing in your classroom. Consider applying to present a session. Click here for both applications https://www.myamea.org/2020-amea-professionaldevelopment-conference/

Thank you for all you do to make sure the students in Alabama are receiving the best music education possible. For questions or updates, please contact us at elementaryamea@gmail.com. See you in October, Phil R. Wilson, President Elementary/General Division

Elementary Calendar of Events

2019 Young Voices Festival

April 26-27, 2019

University of Alabama

Contact: meredithcdevore@gmail.com

World Music Drumming Level I

Crestline Elementary, Hartselle

June 3-7, 2019

Contact: gregory.pearcy@hartselletigers.org

Orff Level II and III

Samford University

June 17-28, 2019

Contact: lhardin@samford.edu

Kodály Levels I, II & III

University of Montevallo

July 8-19, 2019

Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook

Contact: ahalliday@montevallo.edu

East Alabama Music Workshop

Grace United Methodist Church, Auburn

August 24, 2019

Contact: lydarob@me.com

WE ARE ABA!

We are ABA! As cliché as it seems, that is the phrase that is stuck in my head coming home from the 2019 All-State Band Festival. In my time on the board, we have striven to make the organization stronger, moving in a forward direction to serve our membership and their students. With this festival, there were numerous acts of teamwork, professionalism, and evidence of the undeniable importance of music education in the state of Alabama.

I would like to first commend and congratulate Regina Raney and Emily Parker, chairman and vice chairman of District I. Their organization and forward thinking created an experience of professionalism and teamwork. The directors of District I did an outstanding job stepping up with great attitudes whenever needed. Huntsville was truly welcoming for ABA considering all the activities of the week. Vicky Yates and her staff at the VBC were truly great.

Our All-State Festival began with the super solo festival at UAH on Wednesday. Close to ninety participants signed up for the competition. Our judging panel of Dr. Meghan Merciers, Dr. Jimmy Simpson, Dr. Rusty Logan, Dr. David McCullough, and Dr. Grant Dalton had the daunting task of listening, adjudicating and scoring the finest musicians in our state. Dr. Merciers and Dr. Simpson began at 8:00 am and judged until 7:00 pm. After a long day of great music, our eight finalists were chosen. The finals concert was amazing! It is proof that music education is alive and well in our state. The finalist were 8th place Brooke Bailey, Hewitt Trussville HS; 7th place Caroline Habig, Hoover HS; 6th place Emily Warren, Hewitt-Trussville HS; 5th place Jackson Hanks, Hoover HS;

4th place Theo Hornsby, Trinity Presbyterian; 3rd place Anna Grace Hargett, Spain Park HS; 2nd place Samantha Trentacoste, Oak Mountain HS; 1st place and winner Henry Otts, Fairhope HS;. This year in addition to the Alabama Bandmasters' Association award of $500.00 to the winner, several universities awarded scholarships to the winner and all the other finalists. The scholarships are as follows:

Auburn $2500 per year $1000 per year

UNA $4000 per semester $3000 per semester

University of Alabama $1000 per year $500 per year

UAB $2500 per year $1000 per year

Alabama State $2000 per year (music major) $1000 per year (music major)

Alabama State $1000 per year (Wind Ensemble) $500 per year (Wind Ensemble)

I would like to thank these universities for their generous offers to promote this event.

On Thursday we began the day setting up bands, moving percussion equipment, and preparing for auditions. Keith Anderson was outstanding in serving as percussion coordinator. Organizing the long lists of percussion from four different schools is an enormous task. Many directors from District I arrived early to set up and moved right into judging chair placements. Emily Parker's organization of the chair placements made for one of the quickest audition days. There were approximately 640 students auditioned in three hours and fifteen minutes. Many thanks to Emily and the staff at First Baptist Huntsville. Next came clinicians arriving and meeting hosts and preparing to make great music with the enormous bands in two days. Our band hosts; James Champion, Red Band; Mike Guzman, White Band; Heather Henson, Blue Band; and Connie and Tim Hammond, Middle School Band made the impossible

possible with their tireless work and effort. As the first notes began it was obvious that the concert on Saturday was going to be spectacular. Our clinicians; Dr. Cynthia Turner Johnston, Dr. Catherine Rand, Dr. Dennis Llineas; and Dr. Liz Jackson Kirchhoff began rehearsals with some very high expectations of our students. From Carmina Burana ringing from the Blue band, Longford Legend from the Middle School Band, Amparito Roca from White Band and Red Band’s Of Our New Day Begun,the buzz was going around. Our students were engaged and ready for the task before them. While the bands were beginning rehearsals, the ABA board was working in a board meeting. Discussion, evaluating and planning on how we can make our organization better in every way. It has been my privilege and goal that as a board, we are here to serve, evaluate and grow as an organization.

This year, our Friday night concert was the UAH Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. David Ragsdale. What

Doug Farris - President, Alabama Bandmasters Association

University Winner Finalist

New ABA President Terry Ownby and Outgoing President Doug Farris

an amazing end to the days of rehearsal. From auditions through beginning notes of the All-State bands and finishing the day truly hearing what a university band is capable of achieving was a great example of how music education works. From the heights of joy to emotions of remembrance of loss, the UAH Wind Ensemble took listeners on a roller coaster ride with some unexpected fireworks thanks to Panoply Arts Festival. With all the activities on Friday at the VBC, the set up for the rehearsals and concert had to happen at 6:00 am. A team of our directors came to the arena and in a little over 30 minutes, the arena floor went from a blank floor to an AllState set up of four bands. Teamwork and cooperation were prevalent along with the fun we had working together.

As the concert approached there was much excitement from students and directors. The concert was inspiring and provided more evidence that instrumental music education is thriving in Alabama. The professionalism, teamwork, and

excellence was what I had hoped for at the end of my term as president. This only sets the stage for other great performances and experiences for our directors and students. As the concert closes and we all began our travels home, it is important to reflect, evaluate, and begin preparations for what is next. I have been so honored and humbled by the members of the ABA Board for supporting, guiding, and encouraging me during my term. Becky Rodgers Warren instilled in me the ideal of servant leadership. It has served me well and I thank her. Following Mike Holmes as president has been a great experience. His wisdom, patience, and forethought is what I have always admired in him as a teacher and a fellow member of the board. Our organization is in very capable hands with Terry Ownby and Joel Henson. I look forward to serving with them for two years. At this event, our executive secretary Harry McAfee announced his resignation effective the end of June. Harry has been our lighthouse throughout the years. His

contribution and dedication to our organization has been a model to us all. We thank him for his service and will be celebrating his time with us at the summer conference. We all owe Harry a debt of gratitude for his years as executive secretary.

As we begin to look forward, we must continue to look for ways to promote and better the organization and music education. As the ABA Board moves forward please read the emails, search out the bylaws, become familiar with how the organization works and above all else, SERVE. Whether it is your students, those from across the state, or your organization, roll up your sleeves and let’s see what is possible for our membership, our state and most of all, our students.

All-State Middle School Band - 1st Chair Players

Flute: Jaxon Dunlevy, Liberty Park Middle School; Oboe: Alyson Goodwin, Simmons MS; Bassoon: Grace Greer, Auburn JH; Bb Clarinet: Jones Preg, Hewitt-Trussville MS; Alto Clar: Matthew Cornelius, Trinity CA; Bass Clar; Alto Sax: Seth Hickman, Hewitt-Trussville MS; Tenor Sax: Jackson Alexander, Auburn JH; Bari Sax: Elijah Putman, Cullman MS; Trumpet: Noah Bender, Hewitt-Trussville MS; French Horn: Will Hertz, Simmons MS; Trombone: Luke Pappalardo, Pizitz MS; Baritone: Dustin Powell,

State Solo Festival Finalists

1st Place: Henry Otts, Fairhope HS; 2nd Place: Samantha Trentacoste, Oak Mountain HS; 3rd Place: Anna Grace Hargett, Spain Park HS; 4th Place: Theo Hornsby, Trinity Presbyterian; 5th Place: Jackson Hanks, Hoover HS; 6th Place: Emily Warren, Hewitt-Trussville HS; 7th Place: Caroline Habig, Hoover HS; 8th Place: Brook Bailey, Hewitt-Trussville HS

Flute: Anna Hogan, Covenant CA; Oboe: Rebecca Keith, Thompson HS; Bassoon: Gabrielle Smith, Huntsville HS; Eb Clar: Smantha Howard, Hazel Green HS; Bb Clar: Solomon Sigmon, Covenant CA; Alto Clar: Andrew Tillman, Trinity CS; Bass Clar: Jay Zayas, Sparkman HS; Contra Clar: Lauren Love, Tuscaloosa Co. HS; Alto Sax: Ashton Jah, Bob Jones HS; Tenor Sax: Jackson Lanier, James Clemens HS; Bari Sax: Reagan Bonner, Hewitt-Trussville HS; Trumpet:Audra Campbell, Spain Park HS; French Horn: Chiraag Samal, Oak Mountain HS; Trombone: Isaiah Vasquez, Sparkman HS; Baritone: Sam Kinsaul, Lee-Scott Academy; Tuba: Caroline Habig, Hoover HS; String Bass: J.T. Matthews, Vestavia Hills HS; Percussion: James Bright, James Clemens HS

Thank you Harry McAfee for your years of leadership and service to ABA!

All-State Red Band - 1st Chair Players

Elmore Co. HS; Tuba: Marlan Zha, Phillips Prep; String Bass: Ethan Walton, Causey MS; Percussion: Timothy Zhu, Discovery MS

ABA President Doug Farris and Solo Festival Winner Henry Otts

James Champion and Phi Beta Mu Scholarship Recipient Alyssa Ledlow

NEWS FROM AVA

All-State

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to making this year’s All-State Choral Festival a success. This event would not be possible without so many of you being willing to serve. I hope the festival was a wonderful experience for your students and that they brought their enthusiasm back to your choir rooms.

Thank you also to Eric Mathis and Kenny Gannon for their help in hosting us at Samford University again this year. We have loved our years of All-State on their beautiful campus.

Fall Workshop

We had a wonderful time this past year at Huntingdon College and we are so excited to return there this fall! We are also so thrilled to have Dr. Derrick Fox, who conducted the SATB choir at this year’s All-State, return to Alabama as our Fall

Workshop clinician. I enjoyed getting to watch Dr. Fox work with our students and I believe he will bring some great insight and motivation to us this fall. Please go ahead and mark your calendars for September 6 and make plans to join us!

In my follow-up email from All-State, I mentioned that we are interested in continuing our mini break-out sessions at Fall Workshop. If you have anything you would like to present or if you have ideas for sessions, please let me know.

AMEA

We will be returning to Montgomery for this year’s AMEA Professional Development Conference. Our guest clinician will be Dr. Tim Seelig who serves as Artistic Direction or the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Dr. Seelig is also the author of The Perfect Blend, The Perfect Rehearsal,  The Perfect Choral Workbook,  The Music Within and  Quick Fixes. I’m looking

Megan Jones - President, Alabama Vocal Association

High School SSA All-State Choir

High School SATB All-State Choir

All-State Show Choir

All OCS, OA, ME Winners

forward to hear what Dr. Seelig has in store for us!

Please consider submitting to present a session or to have your choir perform at the conference. The deadline to apply is June 1 and the application may be found on the AMEA website under the “Conference” tab under “Information.” We have continued including recordings of your SCPA performances for you to use for the performance application.

Honor Choir

During this year’s AMEA Professional Development Conference we will have our Honor Choir Festival for 10th-12th grade students. Dr. Deanna Joseph from the Georgia State School of Music will be joining us as our clinician. Instead of selecting students based on district screenings on the Honor Choir music, students will instead be selected on their sight-reading ability, as this year’s choir will be a sight-reading choir. Directors

may nominate up to 2 balanced quartets consisting of their best sight-readers.

ASSC

Thank you so much to you all for your input and thoughtful consideration about the future of All-State Show Choir. At All-State, the membership voted to remove the requirement that ASSC students participate in the All-State Choral Festival. We will continue to evaluate the purpose and effectiveness of this event in the future.

Thank you to Jane Powell who has graciously served as our Show Choir Coordinator for numerous years. We are so very grateful to her and her efforts in making ASSC a meaningful and memorable experience for our students! For 2020, Ginny Coleman will be assuming the role of Show Choir Coordinator. Please contact Ginny if you would like to assist or serve in any capacity with the ASSC festival.

Summer Board

This year’s Summer Board meeting will be held on June 3-5. If you have feedback or any items you would like me to add to our agenda for discussion and review during our meeting, please provide that to me through written feedback prior to June 1. You may do that by emailing me at presidentofava@gmail.com or by completing the membership survey that was sent out during and after All-State.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer and are able to find some time to reflect on this school year and to rest and refocus for this coming fall. If I can be of help to you in any way, please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you all at Fall Workshop!

Meg

State OCS

Rebecca Wilson

High School All-State TTBB Choir

Middle School All-State Mixed Choir

TTBB Conductor Jacob Narverud

2020

AMEA Professional Development Conference

January 16-18

Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center

Book a room:

https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1553886248538&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Submit a Session Proposal (Deadline June 1): https://form.jotform.com/50583708668164

Submit a Performance Application (Deadline June 1): https://form.jotform.com/50583844531154

Apply to Present a Lightening Round Session (Deadline October 1): https://form.jotform.com/71234052484956

Submit a Lobby Performance Application (Deadline November 1): https://www.myamea.org/lobby-group-application/

Nominate a Deserving Music Educator or Administrator for an AMEA Award (Deadline July 15)

AMEA Hall of Fame

http://www.myamea.org/hall-of-fame-nomination/

AMEA Outstanding Administrator

https://www.myamea.org/outstanding-administrator-award/

AMEA Lacey Powell Outstanding Music Educator

http://www.myamea.org/music-educator-nomination/

AMEA Ed Cleino Outstanding Young Music Educator

https://www.myamea.org/edward-h-cleino-outstanding-young-music-educator-award/

AMEA Barbara Odom Distinguished Service Award

https://www.myamea.org/barbara-odom-distinguished-service-award/

Keith Anderson, AMEA Techology Chair

Improving Show Design with Virtual Collaboration

As we begin to look toward the end of the spring semester, you might be beginning to put some thoughts together concerning your fall marching show. Whether you’re still in the brainstorming stage, or your concept is already decided and it’s time to get started with the actual creation of the show elements, there’s a good chance that regardless of the size of your program, there’s at least one other person that will have some role to play in bringing that show to life on the field besides you, the director.  Whether you’ve got a staff member for every section in your band (don’t we wish!) or it’s just you and a college buddy, you’re going to have to collaborate with them to make sure everyone is on the same page, working to achieve your goals for your band.

Thankfully, technology makes collaborating more efficient whether it’s between two people or twenty people. The Google suite of online products is a great way to get started with some basic collaborative tools to help you communicate with your staff and make sure your show achieves its design potential. Try these suggestions with your group to help streamline the design process and keep communication flowing smoothly throughout the season.

Create a Google doc and make sure all stakeholders in the design and/or instructional process have access to it and can edit it. Start with using it as a virtual poster board to which everyone can add their ideas. If you’ve got a concept in mind, put that at the top and let everyone contribute music ideas that come to mind and encourage them to post links to the arrangements that can be purchased or even to YouTube videos if you plan to have it arranged for you. Let your auxiliary instructor(s) paste links to uniform ideas that they think support the theme. If a separate drill writer is being hired, include

him or her on the document as well so visual ideas can be included from the early stages.

Once you have music selected, use Google sheets to “storyboard” your show.  Whether your show intends to tell a story, or it’s just great music with a common theme, put your ideas down for what you see happening in each song and maybe even from moment to moment in your show.  Do you want the band standing still from measures 24-32? Are you thinking about inserting a 16 count pit transition between these two songs? What equipment ideas do you or your guard instructor have for this song?  All of these parts of show design are what we do every year regardless of style of show; getting everyone on the same design page at each step of the process can be a lifesaver when trying to put together all the moving parts in the most effective way possible.

And don’t forget the input from your students!  Google forms make it easy to collect data when needing to ask students almost anything.  Are you planning to have a featured soloist or small ensemble during the show? Use a Google form to collect names of those who might be interested in auditioning.  And while maybe outside the scope of show design, using Google forms for things like meal choices at the concession stand you plan to support at an away game, shirt sizes for those show shirt orders, or nominating representatives for competition award ceremonies can be a big time saver.  Post a linked QR code around your band room and the students can scan on their smartphones and fill it out in a manner of minutes.

Once the design process is done and your rehearsal, performance, and competition season begins, use a Google doc or sheet to keep everyone informed about your

upcoming rehearsal plans, especially those after-school rehearsals when that might be the only time additional staff can be there to assist. You can even share that rehearsal plan with your students!

And speaking of sharing with your students, create a Google classroom to use as a resource throughout the season. Post videos of rehearsals and/or performances and include a Google form for each student to fill out with areas they think sound/look good and areas that need improvement.  Assign video passoffs that can be uploaded from a smartphone and graded quickly.

Just like the band programs across our state, there is not a “one size fits all” technology tool that works for everyone.  If you have a system that works for you and your program, by all means, keep it up, and be sure to share that with other directors!  But hopefully, all of us are continually reflecting on our teaching practices and searching for ways to improve, whether that be how to get our clarinets to get those throat tones to sound better, or how to make sure we stay “on task” with our goal of a cohesive theme in our fall productions.  Hopefully, these suggestions will help everyone find a way to make their jobs a little easier, which is always a good thing no matter what season we find ourselves in.

Keith Anderson serves as AMEA Technology Chair. He is Director of Bands at James Clemens High School.

Guy Harrison- President, Alabama Orchestra Association

What a Great Year It Has Been!

Only a few short weeks remain before school lets out for the summer break. A chance for us all to hopefully relax and unwind… and start preparing for another jam-packed school year! As you begin to reflect on your successes and those moments that didn’t quite go as planned, consider sharing your knowledge with our membership by submitting a session proposal for the 2020 AMEA Conference. We know that our teachers have different perspectives and unique areas of interest and we would love to see your insights shared with our membership! While you’re at it, also consider applying to have your ensemble represent the AOA as one of our lobby performance groups and help us increase the orchestra presence in our state.

As of the writing of this article, the AOA has concluded its activities for the year with another wonderful AllState Orchestra Festival and our 4th stand-alone Music Performance Assessment event. Our 2019 All-State Orchestra Festival was held at the University of Alabama from February 7-10. We had almost 250 students across 3 ensembles successfully audition for the opportunity to work with our fabulous clinicians – Dr. Raphael Jimenez (Oberlin College), Mr. Bryan Buffaloe (Clear Lake HS, TX), and Dr. Gail Barnes (USC). Each year, the AOA holds a composition contest that is open to both domestic and international composers. The winner’s work is then premiered by our Festival Orchestra. This year we premiered

Discord by Nabil Abad. Mr. Abad is an up-and-coming composer who is currently studying at Baldwin Wallace University. His work was chosen from more than 30 entries from all over the world. It is always interesting to hear student’s perspectives on these works as it is, for some of them, their first exposure to modern orchestral music. Some don’t like it at the first readthrough and their opinion does not change even as they become more familiar with the work. Others absolutely love it from the get go, and some grow to like it as they spend more time with it. It always helps to hear from the composer both during rehearsals and at our dedicated Meet the Composer session. I would like to thank the AOA Board, our Executive Director – Julie Hornstein, our District

Chairs, section coaches, UA staff, and parent volunteers for all the hard work they put in to making the festival a resounding success. I would encourage you all to stay tuned to both our Facebook page and our website for some potential updates regarding next year’s audition procedures and the festival itself. The AOA will release AllState audition material by August 2, 2019. However, please keep checking our Facebook page for any updates or changes to this date.

The AOA’s 4th stand-alone MPA event took place at Gadsden City High School on April 5, 2019. One of the judges for the event commented that he had judged at our first ever event and was pleased to see the progress being made in our state over the last 4 years. The following ensembles were awarded a Superior rating with straight 1s on-stage and a 1 in sight-reading:

Gadsden Middle School Symphony Strings

Decatur Youth Symphony Chamber Strings

Gadsden City High School Titan Symphony Orchestra

Baldwin Magnet School Advanced Orchestra

Alabama School of Fine Arts String Orchestra

Dunbar Magnet School Guitar Ensemble

We will be posting the complete results to on our webpage soon. Dates and locations for next year’s event will be posted by the end of July. Please consider bringing your ensemble to this event in 2020.

I hope these last few weeks bring you great success as you wrap up spring concerts and finish out the year. As always, if there is anything that the AOA can do to help you and your program please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Regards,

Guy Harrison President, Alabama Orchestra Association

An educational festival for elementary, middle, and high school students in band, choir, and orchestra

2019 dates:

April 12

April 26

May 3

2020 dates:

April 3

April 7

April 24

Finding Alabama’s Voice: The Process of Developing a Statewide Choral Ensemble

Brady McNeil

Throughout history, music is well established as an essential contributor to the cultural fabric that weaves communities together. Gregorian chant fostered a shared sense of religion in the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages (Marier, 2014); Chopin reflected his strong Polish roots with his nationalistic mazurkas (Loeffler, 2015); and bandstands became an avenue for amateur bands to provide a sense of shared community (Battisti, 2002). Today, in the music world, we tend to qualify cities by the existence of a professional orchestra, opera, or theatre. With the explosion of community bands and choirs in the last century, the modern musician has innumerable opportunities for continuing amateur or professional participation in a music ensemble throughout adulthood (Bell, 2004). Some of the smallest towns are still represented by community music ensembles who exist simply for the sake of making music. On a slightly larger scale, performing ensembles formed to represent the whole state have grown in popularity as these groups are typically comprised of professional musicians across the state in which the ensemble resides. Community music ensembles are essential to culture and the

unification of communities because often they represent individuals of different ages with diverse backgrounds, political affiliations, occupations, ethnicities, musical experiences, and so much more (Veblen et al., 2013). These ensembles serve as a vital part of the cultural and social tapestry that represents each of their respective communities (Langston & Barrett, 2008).

Despite the growing emergence of state community ensembles, Alabama seems to be behind. Instrumental music is well represented by Alabama Winds, a premier community band comprised of band directors and other professional musicians across the state of Alabama. The vocal and orchestral facets of continuing music performance are still lacking. Bell (2008) states that statewide ensembles differ in overall scope and formality than traditional community ensembles, but explains that confining these community ensembles to a particular definition can be limiting. Simply to avoid confusion, I have defined “town community choir/band” as a performing ensemble of non-paid, amateur members that represents a particular town or city. I have defined “state

community choir/band” as a professional, though still non-paid, auditioned ensemble who may exist to represent the state on a larger scale, to promote social justice, or to purely serve as an outlet for professional musicians to continue performing.

Why We Do What We Do

Community ensembles exist for a variety of reasons. Veblen et al. (2013) states, “while some programs are geared toward marginalized and disadvantaged populations…others are intended to celebrate and entertain. A variety of alternative structures, formal and informal, planned and unplanned, exist to teach, experience and perform music” (p. 4). Town community choruses are vital to establishing arts culture in their respective towns, and often provide a more casual rehearsal atmosphere for individuals who wish to join for personal musical fulfillment (Bell, 2004). Many community groups allow singers to join with little to no previous experience, but what if there were more avenues for continued choral participation past college that we could offer those who wanted to be challenged at a higher level? Why should college choirs be the peak

to a vocalist’s musical performance?

Professional symphony chorales and other elite, competitive vocal ensembles do not have to be the only routes for continuing performance. The inspiration for Alabama Voices originated as a result of this desire to provide an outlet for trained choral musicians to continue their musical learning by performing advanced choral repertoire with other choral musicians across the state. Philosophical questions addressed during the development process of the ensemble included:

1. Why does the state of Alabama need this ensemble?

2. What benefits will members reap from participation in this ensemble?

3. What are the purpose and goals of Alabama Voices that differentiates it from other existing community and professional choral ensembles in the state?

Based on my experiences living in higher poverty areas, sophisticated musical culture is often underdeveloped and practicing music educators may be unaware of opportunities for continued participation in a music ensemble. As an instrumentalist turned choral educator, I sought out ways of exposing myself to the choral world and furthering my knowledge of choral literature and resources. I yearned for performance opportunities to develop my own choral singing, to introduce myself to new literature, and to refresh my perspective on the standard pieces. Unfortunately for me, there was no choral ensemble nearby that fit my needs. The initial concept for Alabama Voices was born out of my desire to continue learning about choral music. I sought out a way of creating an experience for other musicians, like me, that would push them to be a better version of themselves. Through discussions with other choral music educators across the state, I discovered I was not the only one with this interest.

Although the long-term success of a nonprofit organization takes time to come to full fruition, my purpose is to document the creation and emergence of Alabama Voices, the first non-profit statewide choral ensemble in Alabama. Topics include establishing our purpose, the logistics and financial necessities of beginning a nonprofit organization, planning rehearsals, and developing community within the ensemble.

Where to Begin?

I introduced the idea for Alabama Voices to a group of colleagues during the 2018 Alabama Music Educators Association Conference in Birmingham, all of whom I had sung with while in the Auburn

University Chamber Choir and are also now music teachers. Despite living in more metropolitan areas, all agreed there was not an outlet for them to challenge themselves as much as they wanted in their choral performance. Collectively we decided the group should be the choral counterpart to Alabama Winds and our name, Alabama Voices, would reflect that.

Find Your Purpose

What is the point of doing something without purpose? Regardless of what your purpose may be for your organization, it needs to be well thought out and formulated so that it can guide all decisions made regarding your group. My colleagues and I had many ideas to harness the potential of Alabama Voices. By taking on the large responsibility of representing the entire state of Alabama through the performance of choral music, we wanted to make sure we represented the state and art form well. We chose to do so with an auditioned group of singers rooted in volunteerism. My colleagues and I decided in our first meeting that our multifaceted purpose for Alabama Voices would be as follows:

1. To provide an outlet for music educators and adults with extensive choral experience to continue their own musical learning and artistic expression.

2. To promote the appreciation of choral music and connect with Alabama communities through the performance of relevant choral literature at the highest level of musical artistry.

3.To provide concerts that feature a variety of repertoire that spans all time periods and styles.

4.To represent the state of Alabama through performance on the state, regional, and national level.

5.To sponsor and/or promote young Alabama choral musicians in their pursuit of choral education and participation at the secondary level.

We chose to continue pursuing Alabama Voices by first surveying general interest of other choral music educators in the state. I created a Google Form shortly after the conclusion of the 2018 AMEA In-Service Conference that presented all of the details we knew so far such as rehearsal locations and times, dues, and a general purpose for our ensemble. The form was circulated to our personal friends through social media. We decided we would begin rehearsals the following fall of 2018 and would continue working toward the process of chartering our organization in the meantime. After the Google Form circulated online for a couple of months, we had collected contact information of 57 interested participants.

Each was willing to drive to Birmingham to rehearse and pay a minimal $50 per semester in dues. This was the moment we knew we were doing something worthwhile and that our purpose was important to others.

Establish a Board of Directors

As interest in the group blossomed, the unofficial board continued forward with establishing roles and delegating responsibilities for the continued development of Alabama Voices. We met informally over the summer where we could all discuss what we envisioned for the group. During this meeting, I was appointed as the President; Ryan Gonzales, Vice-President; Sarah Coleman-Gonzales, Secretary; Rebecca Rogers, Treasurer; and Tyler-Davis Pilz, Director of Public Relations. Harris Gessner was unanimously selected as our first artistic director and conductor. Harris is the Director of Choral Activities at James Madison High School, and we selected him for his fine professional reputation as a young, energetic, entertaining conductor and master rehearsal technician. Due to the growing need for a liaison between the members and the Board, Amanda Slay was added as Member At Large during the spring semester.

Financial Planning

One of the most critical components of creating and sustaining a successful volunteer-based organization is ensuring efficiency with the finances of the organization (Brooks, 2006). Mismanaging money is a fast way to put your group in major financial and legal trouble. Creating a budget is an essential first step in the development process. The group likely cannot function without money. However, there are many legal rules by which nonprofit organizations must abide. It is imperative that you become familiar with the

guidelines respective to your type of organization to ensure you are not off to a bad start with the IRS. NOLO features many resources on their website to help guide inquiring organizations on how to achieve nonprofit status (https://www.nolo.com/ legal-encyclopedia/forming-nonprofitcorporation-alabama-36041.html).

Limit Your Purchases

New non-profit organizations typically have minimal, if any, start-up funds. Therefore, you must utilize expenses wisely; it is tempting to want all of the shiniest toys and tools for a choir; but, remember that the only items required to be a successful choir are a space to rehearse, music, and voices. We selected half of our fall repertoire for Alabama Voices from the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) to minimize our costs. We also required members to purchase their music for the selections that were not in the public domain.

Utilize Your Resources

Our board decided from the first meeting that we wanted to maximize the resources available to us. While we did pay to rent our initial rehearsal space, all subsequent rehearsals were held at Hoover High School, which was offered to us free of charge by our Member at Large who is one of the choir directors at Hoover. I highly recommended asking for help from your members. While it may be difficult to expect volunteer members to give you their trust from the beginning, it is important to be as open and transparent with them about all of the workings of the board. Find out if anyone has experience writing grants and make it part of your financial committee to seek out opportunities to take in money for overhead costs.

Search for Applicable Grants

There are many different foundations that offer grants for a vast variety of organizations. Chorus Connection offers some free resources to choral organizations searching for grants including a list of grants by state, grants by region, and national grant opportunities https://pages.chorusconnection.com/ 1000-grants-for-community-choruses). From my experience, most federal funds require that non-profit organizations acquire 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption status to be eligible for award money. If your organization is eligible for 501(c)(3) status, I highly recommended that you complete the application process to procure financial aid that will help sustain your program. Many grant agencies offer project funding grants, which is valuable for any educational outreach, service project, commissioning project, professional development, or clinic that you plan to offer. There are also grants such as the Mockingbird Foundation that even award money for overhead (mbird.org). Note that most grant agencies require your organization to exist for at least two years before you are eligible to apply. Some grants, like the National Endowment for the Arts, only offer matching grants. Tasking our Development Committee with seeking out grant opportunities is another way we delegate work, utilize our resources and give ownership to members.

Getting Organized

The most grueling part of the process was completing all of the paperwork required to become a non-profit organization. A fee is required, and because there are many stipulations about finances for non-profits, it is crucial to handle this fee carefully. The paperwork required is not difficult to complete, but somewhat tedious. Creating a purpose and drafting by-laws for a

constitution can be daunting, but with an active, high-functioning Board and strong community support, it is completely manageable.

Delegate

Delegating well is a useful skill set for organizing tasks to complete the large amount of paperwork required to apply for nonprofit status. Fortunately, our outstanding treasurer Rebecca Rogers was well organized, and the Board divvied up the responsibilities. We were required to establish an initial set of bylaws to govern how the group would continue to function for years to come. We used a template created by Nonprofit Ally (https://nonprofitally.com/start-anonprofit/articles-of-incorporation) to ensure we had all of the business legalese required by the state, and also to ensure that we did not leave out anything relevant and vital to the purpose of our group. The Board apportioned the articles and we each selected two for initial drafting, followed by a Board meeting at which we meticulously reviewed every word to collectively finalize how we wanted each article verbalized.

Plan Rehearsals

Every level of teaching requires planning to present thoughtful, clear, and effective instruction. A statewide group like Alabama Voices that require members to travel from all parts of the state must meet much more infrequently than traditional community music ensembles. We meet monthly on the third Sunday barring any holidays that may cause us to shift our rehearsal date. For us, inefficiency is not an option. Having an inefficient rehearsal could delay musical progress and damage the group’s motivation. The Board agreed a three-hour monthly rehearsal would be adequate for progressing musically while avoiding an adverse time commitment. Our members understand that, due to our limited meetings, they must come prepared and familiar with their individual voice parts, text, and diction so we can focus our time on refining our ensemble sound. Preparing a written plan for rehearsal, pacing, and offering constructive but concise feedback are some of the most useful means of getting the most out of our limited rehearsal time (Countryman, 2007, p. 46).

Creating Community

Arguably the most important aspect of cultivating a community choir is in the name itself. Typically building community within an organization takes time (Kramer, 2011). But there are steps you can take from the beginning to create an inclusive community within your organization. If members feel like their presence is unappreciated or unnecessary, they will likely leave the group.

Socialization is also vital for members in a music ensemble (Langston & Barrett, 2008). We all work toward a common goal, and it is so much easier to move toward this shared goal when we know who we are sharing it with. We allow our members to arrive early and stay after rehearsal to have time to fellowship with one another. We have also start every rehearsal by having each person tell the group one great thing that happened to them since the last time we met. This is a unique way to get to know each other, cultivate support for each other, and to align members emotionally and mentally for rehearsal. Building up our members shows them how much we value their time and membership. We can do this socially, but also by being prepared for rehearsal, maintaining transparency with business and finances, and giving them opportunities to express their opinions and help make decisions.

Be Transparent

One of the biggest initial reservations the Board held in developing the concept of Alabama Voices was how a group of twentysomethings tackling such a massive project would be perceived. We worried that Alabama choral music educators would not entertain the idea of joining an ensemble led by young adults that proclaims to be professional. However, we knew that no aspect of creating this ensemble was about our own pedigree. The point of this ensemble was to create an outlet for practicing choral musicians to perform so we focused on the grunt work to make that happen and hoped everything else would fall into place. We were transparent about our plans for this ensemble with all interested participants and asked for their trust along the way. We are fortunate that so many agreed to put their trust in us and have become the best members we could possibly ask for. We maintain further transparency with our members by showing them exactly where their fees go, and asking their opinion on any large decisions that come along.

Give Ownership

We are constantly informing the members of Alabama Voices about the different ways they can get involved with the developmental aspect of the group. For example, we have created a committee just for this purpose. Our Development Committee gives members the opportunity to use their talents to serve the group in finding funding and any other aspects regarding the overall financial, musical, and social sustainability of the group. Fengler (2017) suggests, “The viability of every nonprofit chorus depends on the success of its development committee and the effectiveness of the committee chair” (p. 1). We have also delegated our website and graphic design to members of our group who

volunteered their efforts. You are sitting on a goldmine with your members—they have a variety of backgrounds and experiences that you can utilize to the group’s advantage. If you create an atmosphere of preparedness, inclusivity, and transparency within the group, members will want to help in bigger ways. Giving them an important role, such as serving on a committee, designing graphics or digital media, or even planning social events offers them a stronger feeling of validation and inclusion in the ensemble.

Sustaining Your Program

You can take every step, think through every decision, and complete all of the legal minutiae to get an organization off the ground and running—but how do you keep the forward momentum? That is something we are in the process of figuring out as we are just now entering that stage of development. Sustaining the organization, pushing the potential, harnessing enthusiasm, and seeing that your musical and community goals are achieved are all equally important as the business side.

Make Goals...and Keep Them

Our Board established goals for Alabama Voices during our first official Board meeting. Some were simple and easy to meet; others were not. Our short-term goals were to get the group off the ground and running smoothly; establish a consistent rehearsal and performance schedule; and complete the paperwork necessary to become a non-profit, federally tax-exempt organization. Within eight months, we completed all of these goals. Our ongoing short-term goals include educational outreach through collegiate and high school performance tours; continued recruitment to seek out any other musicians who have not yet found that performance outlet they need; and to start building a financial cushion by seeking out grant opportunities. Our long-term goals include: larger scale performances at state, regional, national, and even international platforms, and to be able to offer scholarships to high school students in financial need in order to participate in choir past high school.

Relax

Remember why you chose to do what you do when all of the minutia and chaos running an organization starts to wear you down. Remember your love for music, remember your love for teaching, and remember your love for performing. Two things are shared universally: laughter and music. If you have both, also remember to consider yourself blessed. Alabama Voices meets every third Sunday of the month from 2-5 PM at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. Video auditions will open soon for those interested

in joining for the fall 2019 semester. For more information on audition requirements, contact the Board of Directors at board@ alabamavoices.org.

References

Battisti, F.L. (2002. The Winds of Change. Delray Beach: Meredith Music Publications

Bell, C.L. (2004). Update on community choirs and singing in the United States. International Journal of Research in Choral Singing 2(1), 39-52. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10 .1.1.476.5694&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Bell, C.L. (2008) Toward a definition of a community choir. International Journal of Community Music 1(2), 229-241. doi: 10.1386/ijcm.1.2.229/1

Brooks, A.C. (2006). Efficient nonprofits. The Policy Studies Journal 34(3), 303-312. doi: 10.1111/j.15410072.2006.00174.x

Chorus Connection.

Countryman, J. (2007). Getting the most for the least: Ideas on planning, preparing and conducting stimulating and productive rehearsals. Canadian Music Educator 49(2), 46-47.

Fengler, C.. (2017). How to Build a Development Committee that Rocks! Chorus America. Retrieved from https://www.chorusamerica.org/managementgovernance/how-build-development-committee-rocks

File Articles of Incorporation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nonprofitally.com/start-a-nonprofit/articles-ofincorporation/

Grants. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.arts.gov/grants Grants (2019). Retrieved from http://mbird.org/grants/

Kramer, M.W. (2011). A Study of Voluntary Organizational Membership: The Assimilation Process in a Community Choir. Western Journal of Communication 75(1), 52-73. doi:10.1080/ 10570314.2010.536962

Langston, T.W. & Barrett, M.S. (2008). Capitalizing on community music: a case study of the manifestation of social capital in a community choir. Research Studies in Music Education 30(2), 118-183. doi: 10.1177/1321103X08097503

Loeffler, J. (2015). Promising harmonies: the aural politics of Polish-Jewish relations in the Russian Empire. Jewish Social Studies 20(3), 1-36. Retrieved from EBSCO Host. (Accession No. 103377828).

Marier, T. (2014). Gregorian chant, a liturgical art form. Sacred Music 141(2), 5-14. Retrieved from EBSCO Host. (Accession No. 97490867).

Veblen, K.K., et al. (Eds.). (2013). Community Music Today. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Brady McNeil is currently entering his second year of PhD studies in music education at Auburn University where he serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the AU Music Department. He earned his Bachelor of Instrumental and Choral Music Education at Auburn and his Master of Music in Music Theory from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Prior to his appointment as a GTA at Auburn, Brady taught band and musical theatre, and was responsible for starting the choral program at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama.

AMEA Hall of Fame Member William Denison Left Legacy for Generations of Musicians

Dr. William Rae Denison, Director Emeritus of the John M. Long School of Music at Tr l University and director of the Collegiate Singers for over 30 years, passed away in February after a brief battle with cancer.

His quiet demeanor belied the musical gentle giant within; Dr. Denison was a talented musician and gifted teacher, but his humility would never let anyone know how great he truly was.

The man was smart, too – he was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Port Huron High School in Michigan out of a class of around 500 seniors. He attended the University of Michigan and was a part of the world-renowned Michigan band under the direction of Dr. William D. Revelli. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Pipe Organ Performance.

Upon his college graduation, he moved to Huntsville, Alabama, to become the organist at the Church of the Nativity. He began teaching at Athens State University, where he met his wife of 54 years, Jane.

In 1967, Dr. Denison was offered a job at Troy University, where he taught theory and conducting and served as the accompanist for the Collegiate Singers, directed at the time by Dr. Charles Farmer. The president of Troy University, Dr. Ralph Adams, suggested that Dr. Denison further his education at Florida State University, and indeed he did; he is a 1969 graduate of FSU with a doctorate in Music Theory.

Over the next 50 years, Dr. Denison taught just about everything at Troy, from music theory to conducting, from teaching methods to piano and organ lessons, to conducting the opera and musical workshop performances, and of course serving as the director of the Madrigals and the Collegiates.

He was a recipient of Troy University’s highest teaching honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and was chairman of the Academic Council. He presided over a period of growth and change at the University, culminating in Troy’s accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music for the first time.

Throughout his career, he was a part of the Troy Arts Council and the Troy Music Study Club. After retirement, he and his wife Jane ran an antique store in Troy. Dr. Denison served as both organist and choirmaster for both St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church for 50 and 40 years respectively.

And that brings me to the funeral, the one time any of us witnessed an opportunity for this man to be thanked publicly for his hard work on our behalf.

The funeral for Dr. Denison was the most meaningful, moving celebration of life I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. Shortly after driving up to the church, I spotted

by Michael Bird

Troy University Director of Bands Emeritus Dr. Johnny Long on the sidewalk, and after I pulled my car into a spot I walked with my former band director into the church that was filling to capacity. That was surreal enough; it seemed wrong, somehow, to see Troy faces past and present for this unexpected and sad event.

The quiet grace with which Dr. Denison led his life was on full display at this service, and Troy music professor Dr. John Jinright’s tour de force performance was just right for the occasion. The windows of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church were rattling as Dr. Denison’s chosen hymns were performed on the organ he’d played until only a few weeks before; I cannot imagine how emotional it must have been for Dr. Jinright to be playing it, having worked so closely with Dr. Denison over the years.

The readings were so well-chosen, too. It seemed they all communicated the love of music and the importance of kindness.

The Collegiate Singers, under the direction of Dr. James Brown, gathered near Dr. Denison’s casket and performed. I surveyed the congregation, trying not to look at the former students or professors I knew up there, but the tears couldn’t help but flow at the beauty of the moment. As I sat there crying in the church while the Collegiate Singers performed, all I could think of the younger version of myself, sitting in that man’s office complaining about something or other - usually, my grades or a bad night of fraternity foolishness - and how he always managed to talk me off the ledge. Or the hours he spent trying to teach me how to play the piano – he truly was a patient man!

I also thought of all those days in Collegiate Singers rehearsals where he demonstrated that patience like no one I have ever known. He could take people who knew nothing about the subject, who even were against it, and before long turn them into dedicated musicians. His calm and caring demeanor made a difference. I even got to sit next to him in the trombone section of the Southeast Alabama Community Band for several years, and his self-deprecating humor was always on display when he referred to his unpolished “green trombone.”

He also showed his impressive skill in conducting classes, as well as the music career-related ones that we took toward end of our degree programs. I would argue that the personality of the music department at Troy today, now occupying a brand new multimillion dollar facility, reflects Dr. Denison’s influence than he was probably ever willing to admit or recognize, but it is a legacy all the same.

For those of us who attended Troy during any of the 50 years that Bill Denison was around, I think we can all agree that we are better musicians – and better people –because of him, and that’s the greatest gift he could have left behind.

Michael Bird is a choral director and assistant band director for Tallassee City Schools and the author of “FANFARE: The 75-Year History of the Troy University Bands.”

A Call for Collaboration and Reflection

Todd Stoll is the current JEN (Jazz Education Network) President / Vice President of Education for Jazz at Lincoln Center and he recently stated in his President’s message, “As we finish our school years, our semesters, our concerts, and move into the summer, let’s all take a moment to reflect and appreciate this transcendent music that we love and serve. Jazz teaches us about America. The music contains the stories of our nation, good, bad and ugly. Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall in 1946 making a statement about race with his “Deep South Suite”. Benny Goodman integrating his band a full decade before Major League Baseball. Mary Lou Williams getting off a train, following an assault, and recording her masterpiece “Night Life”. John Coltrane writing “Alabama” following the horrific murder of four little girls in church in Birmingham. The stories go on. This music, our music, is so rich and deeper than the notes”.

While jazz provides a feeling, it isn’t the only reason to study this music. Lessons of inspiration and courage, of overcoming, or coming together are perhaps more important than the technical requirements it takes to play this music. Educational concepts include creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical decision-making. Music makes us human and to swing, one must sacrifice for the good of the greater community. We as an educational community could do a better job in this spirit through collaboration.

April was Jazz Appreciation Month and there were numerous festivals, concerts, lectures, and jam sessions celebrating this genre. Many of us are probably unaware of everything going on within our great state. Jacksonville State University hosted their 8th annual jazz festival with guest artist Jeff “Tain” Watts, Troy University hosted their annual jazz festival with guest artists Dr. Tina Claussen and Dr. Matt Hoormann, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame hosted it’s annual jazz festival in Birmingham, Shelton State Community College hosted their HS jazz festival, the University of Alabama and Hoover HS collaborated on a concert, Samford University collaborated with the US Air Force Academy “Falconaires” for a concert, Gadsden State Community College featured guest artist Tim Leahey from the Airmen of Note, and there are numerous of other events that occurred within the state. UAB hosted it’s annual Jazz Summit in February with guest artist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, so jazz doesn’t have to just occur in one particular month. As a matter of fact, looking ahead the annual Gadsden State Community College Jazz Festival will occur November 7th and will feature “Women in Jazz”! There are jam sessions all over the state where we can collaborate on the bandstand. I will be working with the JEN Board of Directors to develop an online calendar for our state so that we have a onestop source of information. Stay tuned for those details!

It is no fault of our own that our profession requires countless hours of preparation and work. It is difficult to carve out time to look at the “big picture”. It is much easier to manage the immediate world we live in. I

Matt Leder

remember being a military musician and observing my colleagues. I gigged a great deal while in the military bands and many asked me why I gigged on the “outside” or I why I attended so many live concerts. If you play with the same individuals all of the time and don’t push each other, it is very easy to become complacent. I still gig today to push myself and so that I can keep an eye on the “big picture”. I personally practice, gig, and attend concerts to facilitate growth. One of my students asked me the other day, “Hey Doc, what do you have left to learn…you have your doctoral degree”! Well, the beautiful thing about education is that it never stops. We should all strive to continue in our own educational pursuits. Try to learn something every day!

Music is prevalent throughout our region, yet not everyone collaborates or takes advantage of the resources available within the state. Everyone deserves the time off, but lets use this time to self evaluate. Try to reach to one another to collaborate, “shed” some this summer, go hear some live music, and work on plans to make students aware of the “big picture”. Bringing in guest artists or bringing students to festivals or concerts is one of the best ways to do this. These actions leave lasting impressions. Remember why we got into music in the first place, self evaluate, and work from a place of inspiration.

The Jazz Education Network is a system in place that we could use to “connect the dots”. This is an organization where we can collaborate and share ideas throughout our local region and nationally. Did you know that if you are a high school or middle school director, you could sign up ALL of your students for FREE if you start a JEN Chapter at your school? This gives you access to FREE charts, subscriptions to Downbeat and Jazzed for your students, access to JEN Jazz2U grants for clinicians or performances, opportunities to participate at the annual JEN conferences, etc.? I am currently the Alabama JEN Unit Leader / President and I would be happy to help anyone with creating a secondary or collegiate school JEN Chapter. Please let me know if you would like more information about JEN or if you would like to volunteer your time towards improving jazz education and performance throughout our region. I’d also be open to discussing the possibility of a clinic with your students while we create your local school JEN Chapter. My number is (256) 549-8394 or matt@mattleder.com. In the spirit of swing, Dr. Matt Leder.

Campus Connections

Colleges and universities are encouraged to submit newsworthy material and announcements for publication in Ala Breve

The University of Alabama

Important News for you and your students: Nominations are open for the Alabama Blues Weekend on July 12-13 hosted at The University of Alabama!

As we here at the University of Alabama School of Music seek to provide the strongest level of support for you and your students in a variety of activities, I want to make you aware of an outstanding opportunity that is coming up this summer. In addition to our well-established Crimson Music Camp experiences which will take place in the month of June, there is the tremendously exciting opportunity that is The Alabama Blues Weekend, scheduled for July 12th and 13th. The Alabama Blues Project Weekend Workshop will feature some outstanding “one-of-a-kind opportunities” for both you

and your students. I encourage you to investigate this opportunity as it could provide an experience for your students (and you) that could be deeply enriching in many ways. This will be, in effect, an “honor band weekend experience” dedicated to the study and performance of “the blues”. And, for all students who are nominated and accepted, attendance at this event is FREE.

The weekend will include workshops for voice, percussion, keyboard, guitar, bass, trumpet, trombone, and sax as well as concerts in which students may have the opportunity to perform with guest artists and faculty. Chosen participants will also attend intensive masterclasses and breakout sessions led by Blues experts and UA faculty. As the person nominating, you will receive a VIP badge for the event.

To nominate students (No tuition fee for participation) , please follow this link: https://universityofalabama.az1.qualtrics.com /jfe/form/SV_cHDgrJmIMhPgbw9

Alabama Blues Weekend is a collaborative event planned by the College of Continuing Studies, UA School of Music, Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission, and the Alabama Blues Project.

Chosen participants will need a plan for transportation to and from the event on both Friday, July 12th and Saturday, July 13th.

If you have any questions or would like further information about this event, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to offer you more information about this outstanding opportunity. Thank you for considering this event for both your students and yourself!

News from NAfME

More Than 65 Years of Research in Music Education Now Available to All NAfME Members

Digital Access to Journal of Research in Music Education Now Open

RESTON, VA (April 3, 2019)—As of April 2019, the flagship Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME) is accessible electronically by all members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). All members can now log on to the website at bit.ly/JournalResearchMusicEducation to read cutting-edge research on a wide range of music education categories. (A print edition of the JRME will continue to be available for an additional fee.)

Launched in 1953 under the editorship of Allen Britton, the JRME includes peerreviewed research on music teaching and learning. Topics include various aspects of music pedagogy, history, and philosophy. Articles address vocal, instrumental, and general music at all levels, from early childhood through adult. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used.

According to current JRME editor Steven J. Morrison of the University of Washington in Seattle, knowledge must not only be gained through research; it must also be shared. In the January 2019 JRME issue’s “Forum”

column (p. 353), he stated, “Making research available to the entirety of the NAfME community helps everyone to know what questions are being asked, what methods are being used, and what conclusions are derived. It allows new finding to be considered and questions to be posed.”

Morrison continues, “It opens doorways to new resources and opens avenues for discussion, application, brainstorming, and problem-solving.” Removal of barriers to published research will benefit researchers and teachers alike.

Band Music Reviews

I sometimes fall down the “rabbit hole” on the internet of reading the various quotes about life, loss, love and living…it’s sometimes difficult not to spend hours reading those quotes and thinking about how the various quotes impact your life. I ran across a quote not too long ago that was focused on how the past has impact on our future…it read something like this “Remember the stories of our past, they will help propel you into the future”. This article is traditionally focused on new wind band literature and we all know we have an enormous supply of new literature. It is incredible how much new music has been added to our repertoire over the past 5 years. I’m “seasoned” enough to remember waiting with great anticipation for the new music album/cassette tape/CD to be delivered by “snail mail” to my school each fall. When it arrived, I would spend hours listening to each piece over and over again. Required Music Lists were only updated every other year, at most…sometimes every 5 years…to put the newest literature on the state required list. Today, our world is quite different with new music and new composers making their marks very rapidly. I thought it might be appropriate to “remember the stories of our past” in this article as we close another school year, to remind us of those pieces that sometimes get forgotten in the masses of new music that we are inundated with today. I hope you will find something that you will want to program when the new school year opens.

Clare Grundman is one of our profession’s greatest treasures. His ability to score and arrange folksongs for our young bands is unparalleled. I teach a course at the University of Alabama on Grade 3, 4 and 5 wind band literature. I’m always amazed at the number of my graduate students who aren’t familiar with Grundman’s works and what a wonderful and pedagogically sound writer he was. One of his best-known pieces that isn’t heard as much as you would think is his grade 3 work Kentucky 1800. Published in 1955, Kentucky 1800 is a setting of three American folk songs, The Promised Land , I’m Sad and I’m Lonely and Cindy.

Grundman uses very colorful scoring along with a very interested accompaniment line to create a quality and educational musical experience for young band members. The piece exposes young musicians to both major and minor tonalities, along with dotted rhythms, and provides a somewhat healthy percussion score for music written during this time period. Kentucky 1800 is approximately 4 minutes in length and is a wonderful teaching tool for your grade 3 or 4 ensemble.

The music of Vincent Persichetti is certainly unique. Persichetti is one of the major figures in American music of the 20th century, both as an educator and composer. His music draws heavy influence from the music of Stravinsky, Bartók, Hindemith and Copland, along with big band music. His own style was marked by the use of two element he refers to as “graceful” and “gritty”. He frequently uses polytonality in his writing and was one of the first composers to treat the percussion choir as an equal to the woodwind and brass choirs. Persichetti composed Pageant in 1953 and it was his third work for wind band. It is in two-part form, with the opening being at a slow tempo with solo horn playing a recurring three note theme, followed by a chorale section. The second part is quick and lively, which Persichetti likened to a parade. The second part is full of Persichetti’s characteristic stylings, including articulate counterpoint and contrasts of texture. Pageant is an excellent piece to introduce Persichetti’s compositional style to your high school band, as it is one of his most accessible pieces. The piece contains solos for horn, trumpet and piccolo and also contains exposed soli sections for all instruments. Written during the “golden age” of wind band literature, as the Eastman Wind Ensemble was founded and composers of international acclaim began writing for wind band, this piece provides students with accessible challenges and many teaching moments for the conductor.

With the recent tragic fire in the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, programming works of French composers would be a

timely gesture. Many of our students have never had the opportunity to visit another country, and music makes those faraway lands seem closer to home. Darius Milhaud’s monumental Suite Francaise was composed in 1945 and premiered by the Goldman Band in the same year. The composition was later transcribed for orchestra and this version was premiered by the New York Philharmonic. Written in five movements, the movement titles are actual provinces in France with each movement based of off popular melodies of the day in the different regions of France. The piece contains a variety of tonal centers, including both major and minor tonalities, along with various tempi and styles, which varies from movement to movement as one might imagine. There are specific challenges for piccolo and alto saxophone, along with technical challenges for all instruments with numerous exposed sections for most every section. Studying this colossal work has numerous cross-curriculum opportunities for your ensemble and would provide a very current and practical bridge to expose students to the folk music of another country and would provide an enjoyable experience for students in strong programs.

I hope you will take some time over the summer months to remind yourself of a “seasoned” band piece that today’s students are rarely exposed to. There’s much music to be remembered! I hope you all have a relaxing and rejuvenating summer. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance to you or your program.

Randall Coleman Associate Director of Bands, University of Alabama Conductor and Music Director, Alabama Winds

Randall Coleman

Planning for Final Days of the School Year

The topic of Tips That Click this month is helping directors plan appropriate activities for the final days of the semester. We are all searching for intentional activities that will engage students in meaningful learning and set the stage for the next school year. While it is true that this is a time of year that has many interruptions and diversions, careful planning and orderly procedures can lead to  positive and non-chaotic closing days.

Jim Knight is a past president of Rho Chapter and a veteran teacher of over 40 years. Jim taught many years in Florida, where he developed the band at Pace High School into one of the finest in the state. He has also taught in Alabama at

Tips That Click

He has some very good reminders of important tasks that should be covered at the end of the year. “Make sure that you get an accurate addresses for all the students that you teach that are returning and especially any incoming students from feeder schools. The contact information that you had at the beginning of the year may not be current, and it is vital that you have every student (and parent) review it and acknowledge that it is accurate. This is the primary way that you have to make sure that you are planning adequately for your instructional (music, handouts, etc.) and logistical (uniforms, chairs, stands) needs for the Summer and beyond.” He added:” Make sure that the parents and students have

detailed information about your Summer program or pre-school events to insure good participation and attendance. If you are taking the students away from school, make sure that the parents have all the paperwork necessary to make this happen”.

Jim usually checked his instrument inventory personally. “I felt like I could get best idea of what repairs might be needed, and had the best eye to catch things that a student might miss. If I could get a store repairman to come by, I would have things laid out and we could get this knocked out in a morning. I could leave for the Summer knowing that things would be ready when I got back to start the new season!”

Gordo High School, McGill-Toolen High School and Briarwood Christian School.

Mark Foster (Sponsor) and New Member A.B. Baggett

John Bradley (Sponsor) and New Member Jerell Horton

David Allinder (Sponsor) and New Member Greg Gumina

Terry Ownby (Sponsor) and New Member David Waters

Outgoing President Jim Knight and New President Gene Inglis

Greg Gumina is current President of the Alabama Music Educators Association and has been a band director for 24 years in this state. He has served 22 of those years as Assistant Band Director at Shades Valley High School, where his bands and percussion ensembles have achieved many honors. Greg is a newly elected member of Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu.

Greg says: “ I have a philosophy of “get ready to be ready”, and a set of regular procedures that help my students get the year closed out in a way that gives me less stress during post-planning. I begin in April, after Spring Break. I talk to the students and have them understand that the next few weeks will go by a lot faster than we think! I make sure that they realize the importance of keeping on top of deadlines for their academic work and other testing activities so that we can use the few hours of band time we have left. I set aside a time to get the band room thoroughly organized and cleaned – we have usually let some things slide during preparation for Music Performance

Assessment. I have this overhaul assigned by section to keep everyone involved and accountable. Once everything is clean and organized, it will be simpler to keep it that way until the year is over. Another activity that requires a special day is a period near the end to inspect instruments and get them ready for repair. I specifically target the students that are responsible for two school instruments (French Horn/ Mellophone, Euphonium/Marching Baritone, and Tuba/Sousaphone) and do a careful inventory to insure that we can give the repairman an accurate idea of what needs to be done to get both instruments ready for the Fall so we don’t waste any time when we sit down to play. I also find that a critical day is the day after the final concert. I make sure that we take up and file all outstanding music, so we are not chasing it down later. My students are eager to play and read music until the last day, but we have a procedure in place where we just read a piece or two every day and then take it up at the end to avoid problems. As a result of having the students help me the last few weeks, I can

spend my time at the end of school wrapping up paperwork and planning for the next year instead of being overwhelmed!”

These are some great ideas on using the final weeks of school to take care of your students and your inventory in a very efficient and effective manner.

Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu

International Bandmaster Fraternity is committed to the improvement of bands and band instruction in this state. Comments on this column and ideas for future columns are welcome! Please email: pemin@mac.com

— Phil Min 3797 Raceway Park Road Mt. Olive, AL 35117 205.718.2799

pemin@mac.com

Johnny Jacobs and Hall of Fame Inductee Jim Duren

Johnny Jacobs and Hall of Fame Inductee Rusty Logan

Ski Winter (center) created wooden plaques for Hall of Fame inductees Jim Duren and Rusty Logan

Jim Duren congratulates Outstanding Young Band Director Kevin Ownby

Jim Duren congratulates Outstanding Band Director David Waters

Choral Music Reviews

In recognition of our recent observance of African-American History Month, I am giving attention to at least two “tried and true” octavos, plus one other that might be of considerable interest to some directors and choirs. Many of the old classics are overshadowed by newer releases, and I fear that young choral leaders might not be as exposed to some choral settings that truly deserve attention. There are several old arrangements and compositions from which to choose, so it was very difficult to limit my choices.

It is worth mentioning that there is much, much more to the choral music of African-Americans and of African peoples from around the globe, past and present, than what can be found in spirituals and other folk songs. Anthems, motets, large-scale works, songs inspired by poetry, children’s songs, game songs, and many other genres are well worth exploring. However, the focus of this article is upon a few classic spirituals that may be forgotten or overlooked. Here are three that reach the top of my list of personal favorites.

Ain’t Got Time to Die (SATB, tenor solo)

Hall Johnson

G. Schirmer

Hall Johnson (1888-1970) was considered to be quite an influential composer and arranger of choral music, as well as conductor of his selfnamed ensemble, “The Hall Johnson Choir.” During his career, Johnson’s ensemble could be heard on radio, in film, on stage, and in commercial recordings. With his ensemble and in his choral settings, Johnson was committed to preserving the authenticity of the spiritual, songs that he heard first-hand from his grandmother, an ex-slave. His arrangements detail the articulation and other expressive elements that promote elements of authenticity.

“Ain’t Got Time to Die” is arguably one of Johnson’s best known choral octavos. It is often mistaken as an arrangement of a spiritual. However, it is clearly an original composition as indicated in the publication: “words and music by Hall Johnson” that are intended to be performed “in the style of a Spiritual.” Unlike many other composer-arrangers of his time, Johnson includes performance notes that are certain to quiet any doubts regarding the composer’s intent.

Johnson was also very emphatic about proper performance practices for the concert spiritual. While gospel music is closely related to the spiritual, they are not the same genre. The spiritual is the nineteenth-century sacred rural song of the slave. Gospel music grew out of spirituals and blues, and developed in the early 20th century in urban settings. Johnson insists that the concert spiritual—songs that are notated

and published for specific voicings and instrumentation, when applicable—is intended to be performed as choral art music, and not as pop music.

Those who are well-acquainted with the performance practices and conventions of the spiritual will note that the solo in Johnson’s “Ain’t Got Time to Die” gives room for some interpolations or minor deviations from the notes and rhythms. However, the singer should refrain from over-gospelizing the solo with runs and other pop devices. Again, Johnson articulates something to this affect in some of his writings, particularly in his collection of spirituals for solo voice and piano.

The choral notation is quite accessible to most choirs of mixed voices, and it is in classic calland-response strophic form as spirituals are commonly described.

Ezekiel Saw De Wheel (SATB divisi, tenor solo)

Set for chorus by William L. Dawson

Neil A. Kjos Music Co.

Alabama is home to one of the largest populations of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) was, perhaps, one of the most recognized names among those Alabama colleges due to the renown of Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. In music circles, the name William L. Dawson of Tuskegee Institute rises to the top half of the list of choral arrangers of the African-American spiritual.

Although a respected composer known for his Negro Folk Symphony and other works, Dawson’s choral arrangements gained him popularity and prominence within the choral community. Ezekiel Saw de Wheel is one of his most recognized choral settings, and it finds its due place in standard choral repertoire. In classic “Dawson” style, he meticulously includes multiple articulations (accents, staccato, sforzandi, etc.) in the musical score. He alternates between homophonic texture and imitative lines that cleverly travel among each voice part. Adding to the interest and variety of the setting is the regular contrasting of dynamics when, if followed appropriately, ensures a very stimulating performance. Also, careful observation of the written dialect adds to the overall affect.

The latter third (or fourth) of Dawson’s setting of this spiritual is devoted to what choral directors of the ages affectionately refer to as the “doom-a loom-a” section, which is 6-7 pages of multi-divisi (one-system-per-page). The vocal effect that Dawson creates in this section could be considered as the bedrock of rhythmic choral

divisi, to which later choral arrangers such as Moses Hogan cites as one of his major influences. The ostinato and the actual notes and rhythms of this last section are not inherently difficult. However, the layering, articulation, stamina, and required energy are what make this section of the piece difficult, in my opinion. Dawson’s setting of this spiritual as a whole is, indeed, intended for the advanced choir. The dedication written in the score is to Dr. J. Finley Williamson and the Westminster Choir.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (SATB divisi)

Arranged by Rosephanye Powell Gentry Publications

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of this opportunity to present a spiritual arrangement by Rosephanye Powell. While this inclusion is justified by her strong credentials and undisputed reputation as a composer, arranger, and choral conductor, this is also a shameless plug because she is my wife. However, only a small amount of research reveals that Rosephanye is considered to be one of the most published African-American female composers of choral music of our time.

In her arrangement of the well-known and often quoted spiritual “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” Powell uses harmony and rhythm to give a sweeping and eerie affect to intensify the mournful quality of her musical setting of this spiritual. Her intent is to show the unmistakable despair one encounters when feeling abandoned or hopeless. She interweaves jazz harmonies into the support voices while maintaining the rhythmic momentum as the melody travels among all voice parts.

Unique to this setting, Powell also interweaves West African phrases as “tags” at the ends of the English verses. Among other things, this device helps to connect the spiritual to its West African roots while adding to the intensity of the arrangement. This is another choral setting that is intended for advanced choirs, not only due to its divisi, but also to other musical elements that are not as easily accessible to developing choirs. The arrangement was published in 2004 and it is dedicated to Philip Brunelle and VocalEssence (Minnesota) on their 35th anniversary.

William Powell serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Auburn University. He conducts the Chamber Choir, Men’s Chorus, Concert Choir, and Gospel Choir.

William Powell