A Welcome from Todd Zimbelman, OMEA President

Welcome to the 2018 OMEA All-State Gala Concert . As President of the Oregon Music Education Association, I could not be more proud of your child’s achievements and the tremendous music programs and teachers across our state Congratulations on having a student selected to perform in one of our many Honor Ensembles! Being a part of one of these ensembles is a huge honor, and OMEA is grateful for your support and dedication to make this possible These students get to rehearse with amazing conductors and world-class clinicians We are so fortunate that Oregon has an outstanding reputation for high quality honor groups with gifted and positive students I am excited for the experiences your student has received at the 2018 All-State Conference .

We have an amazing team of conference planners that volunteer their time to run an outstanding conference . This team is led by our conference chair, Ms Kathy Briggs Congratulations to Kathy and her conference planning team . The conference and All-state performances would not be possible without their hard work and dedication

I hope the memories created at this event will last a lifetime . Please take a moment to reflect on the impact of music education. Be vocal with your local school and state representatives and be sure to advocate for strong music programs in your area Parents of All-State students know better than anyone the impact music has had on the lives of these fine musicians.

I hope you enjoy these performances . Thank you for your continued support of music education in Oregon!

Many thanks to the Conference Chairs, Area Chairs, and Managers for their dedication to your students and music education .