Music Education

As you know, All-State experiences can be life-changing events for your students and, therefore, for your programs The directors for the bands are amazing musicians, educators, and, perhaps most importantly, people . Directing the Wind Symphony is Dr Gillian MacKay, Director of Bands at the University of Toronto Dr MacKay directed the Oregon All-State Middle School Band several years ago to rave reviews, and was also the director of the All-Northwest band at the 2013 conference in Portland She has chosen a challenging program that I know your students will have a blast working on Directing the All-State Symphonic Band will be Richard Floyd, recently retired director of the music section of the Texas University Scholastic League (UIL), and one of the most respected music educators in Texas music education history The middle school director is Timothy Mahr the conductor of the St . Olf Band in Minnesota where he teaches courses in composition, conducting and music education

Two issues that always seem to come up are deadlines and procedures . I encourage everyone to view the dates as “hard and fast” cut-offs Please do not assume that anything will be extended past the published date even though this may have happened in the past It is also imperative that ALL application/audition/nomination procedures be followed This is the only way to ensure that the screeners can do their job in a timely, consistent, and fair manner

Moving past All-State issues, I would like to encourage everyone to focus on your students’ music education It is so easy, especially at this