CROSBY MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND TO PERFORM AT KENTUCKY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE “We have twelve districts within our KMEA organization,” Stivers explains. “The first step This past February on a cold, dreary is for the bands to go through a district-level Saturday morning, a group of teens gathered assessment performance during the spring at Crosby Middle School in Douglass Hills semester. Once you do that you get a rating, to ready themselves for an event that would which can be Distinguished, Proficient, make a significant impact on their lives. Apprentice or Novice. Bands, orchestras or choirs receive a letter from Dr. John Stroube, These teens weren’t practicing drills executive director for KMEA. If the letter to prepare for an intense sporting announces that we received all Distinguished tournament, nor were they studying for ratings at our annual festival event, then we’re a grueling academic examination. The highly encouraged to apply for the state-level students from Crosby were prepping for conference. It’s a seal of approval.” their much-anticipated performance at the annual Kentucky Music Educators The director decides whether he or she Association (KMEA) Conference held in wants to take the next steps to apply to downtown Louisville. participate in the conference. The process includes submission of professional Crosby Band Director Joseph Stivers and recordings of a band’s music. The deadline his young musicians were beyond excited to to submit all materials was June 1. be chosen to perform at the event. There are several steps involved before a band or choir The Crosby band submitted two pieces receives confirmation that they are invited “Dream Variants”, composed by Roland to play at the event. Barrett, and “The Crosley March” by Henry Fillmore. Writer / Julie Engelhardt
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“‘Dream Variants’ is a more modern piece, whereas ‘The Crosley March’ is more on a high-school level in terms of technique demands, range and rhythm,” Stivers says. According to Stroube, submissions are rendered anonymous and grouped according to performance type. Committees of teachers, also grouped by performance type, then evaluate and rank the recordings. “In other words, orchestra teachers rank orchestras, band teachers rank bands and choral teachers rank choirs,” Stroube says. “The highest-ranking groups, to the point that performance times are exhausted, are invited to perform.” The Crosby band was notified during the summer that they’d been accepted, yet the students who actually recorded the audition pieces didn’t have the opportunity to perform at the conference in February. They were eighth graders at the time of the recording, and have since gone on to high school.