Alabama Vocal Association Jane Powell, President


Reflecting on the AMEA conference is proving to be a positive process. Even though the new venue offered some challenges, everyoneworked together and the weekend was very successful. I am personally indebted to Jerry Cunningham, Jody Powell and Lis Donaldson for the very dedicated way they each stepped up to lead the way in this transitional year to a new site.


Such great learning opportunities were afforded us on so many levels. We are grateful to Rosephanye Powell and Patrick Freer for sharing themselves and their knowledge with us. What a wealth of information theywere able to impart in a short period of


time. Their


understanding of the challenges that we deal with in our classrooms and their helpful approach gave us a renewed commitment to our students. One of the highlights of Dr. Freer’s sessions was the work he did with some great young men from the Baldwin Arts and Academics Magnet School. Thanks to Mike Spivey for his willingness to share them with us. We also thank Terry Moore and Karen Anderson for serving as accompanists for our clinicians. Thank you all for sharing your time and talents.


Many thanks also to Carl Davis and the Decatur High School Women’s Choir, Elizabeth Stephenson and Grissom High School Concert Choir, Deborah Gray and Bragg Middle School Mixed Choir and Heather Cantwell and Liberty Park Middle School Girls choir for their performances. Being willing to prepare students for such an event andmaking the many arrangements


to travel


Montgomery speaks highly of these programs and the commitment excellence for the students.


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to to


Ultimately, the success or failure of every aspect of our choir programs rests squarely upon our own shoulders.


I am always in awe of how hard the All- State Show Choir students are willing to work to produce such a fabulous product. This yearwas no exception! The students had a great time working together and with the clinicians, Greg Jasperse and April James. Thank you to these students for an excellent festival and to Rebecca Rockhill for serving as the accompanist for this group. I’m indebted as well to Matt Lentz for bringing together some of Alabama’s finest band directors and one of our orchestra directors to performas the stage band for the performance.What fun for choir, band and orchestra to join efforts!


It is now time for us to turn our attention to theAll-State Choral Festivalwhichwill be held on the campus of Samford University March 23 - 26. The State Outstanding Choral Student


and


Outstanding Accompanist competitions are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, March 23. The festival itself will begin with the General Assembly at 1:00 p.m. onMarch 24 and the first rehearsal begins at 2:00. The complete schedule is posted on the AVA website, alavocal.org. The clinicians coming our way are Jefferson Johnson, University of Kentucky; Paul Gulsvig, Onalaska, Wisconsin; Jeffrey Clayton, DouglasAnderson School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL; Juan Tony Guzman, Luther College-Decorah, Iowa; Eileen Hower, Bloomsburg University- Bloomsburg, PA.


AVA will implement the State Choral PerformanceAssessment for the first time during the spring semester of 2011. This is a once yearly assessment that replaces the District/State assessments. The assessments are being held in each district and directors have the option of attending


more than one assessment. The


membership has chosen the name of this assessment but it is not the intent of the board to set the bar so high that our young teachers and those who find themselves teaching in struggling areas cannot be successful. Teachers are encouraged to use the auxiliary sheet, found in the handbook, to offer a description of the choir programso that the adjudicatorswill understand the parameters of


the


individual programs. .


With so much happening in AVA and within the individual programs I would like to take this opportunity to encourage each of us in a fewareas. Wemust always plan ahead, read the AVA handbook concerning all events, and strive to be organized & punctual.


I encourage


everyone to be sure that each registration is complete and mailed to the proper person before the stated deadline. Read and re-read the By-laws & the Standing Rules that govern each event. Consult the calendar and deadlines on the alavocal.org website to be sure you are registering for each event by the deadline to avoid a late fee. Send all of the required registration forms with a purchase order or check to either your district chairman or the executive secretary, as instructed on the form. Register for each event separately. Follow up with your bookkeeper to be sure that registrations have beenmailed as you instructed.


Ultimately, the success or failure of every aspect of our choir programs rests squarely upon our own shoulders.


I wish for each of you successful performance assessments, an excitingAll- State experience and rewarding end of the year concerts.


February 2011


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