Alabama Vocal Association Jane Powell, President


As I write this article I am still very much reflecting on the recent All-State Choir Festival.


What an incredible experience for all


of the AVA membership and students. The students were so privileged to work with these gifted clinicians.


We are all


encouraged to be better teachers for having had this opportunity to learn from them and experience the passion that they each bring to this art. Thank you seems like two very small words to fully express the gratitude we feel in Alabama for these fine musicians and the time they spent with us.


It has been an honor this school year to have worked closely with teachers who are veterans in the field of music education as well as the new teachers just beginning their careers in this wonderful profession. I commend the teachers who have shared their passion for music unselfishly for many years and the bright young stars who will also share their individual unique styles for years to come. These teachers are offering many students the opportunity to excel in various forms of choral music. Each teacher brings to the classroom their own unique style and emphasis. One thing that I know is that these educators, through music, are profoundly impacting their students, their schools and their communities. It is this knowledge that leaves me very troubled by the bills that are before our legislators at this time. We simply must stand up for ourselves and our programs and make every effort to protect ourselves and the students we teach. If you have not taken time to contact a senator or house member please do not hesitate any longer to let your voice be heard.


AVA is moving forward with an advocacy campaign that will be unveiled very soon. We are committed to providing each choral director with the necessary information that can be shared with


12


Call For Sessions: For those of you interested in bringing your choral group to perform at the 2012 AMEA conference or presenting a session it is important that you be aware of the deadlines.


The


deadline for submitting session proposals and performance applications for the 2012 AMEA conference is June 1! I encourage as many as will to apply.


Also, the deadline for submitting award nominations is July 15. These awards include, Outstanding


Outstanding Music Educator, and the Distinguished Service Award.


You can find the necessary forms and instructions in this issue of the ala breve. Don’t forget to renew your MENC membership so that you can participate in all AVA activities for the upcoming year. Your membership will expire on June 30 and forms have already gone out electronically so it would be a good idea to take care of this now!


The AMEA Board would like to encourage as many music educators as possible to attend MENC Week in Washington, DC the week of June 24 – 28. You can find all the necessary information on the MENC website. All AVA members could benefit greatly from such a trip and one of the highlights of the trip is a visit to Capitol Hill and an opportunity to let our Alabama voices be heard.


Two profile areas that need your attention: 1) Update your MENC profile by logging in to the MENC website and clicking “member services.”


Administrator,


June 5 – 8 are the dates for the Summer Board Meeting of the AVA Governing Board. The board will be evaluating the first year of the State Choral Performance Assessment at this meeting. We will also be putting the final touches on the new adjudication forms that will be used during the 2011-12 school year. There are samples of the forms on the website. Please take the time to study these forms. If you have comments or suggestions concerning the assessment, the new forms, or any other AVA concerns, please contact your district chair so that he/she can bring those before the board. If there is anything that you would like to put on the board meeting agenda please send an electronic request to jane@alavocal.org no later than June 1.


I wish for you fun filled days with your students as we close out the remainder of this school year. I hope your concerts are memorable for all of the right reasons! I thank you for your participation in all AVA events this year and look forward to seeing you and working with you and your students again during the 2011-12 school year.


Jane Powell, AVA President


administrators, parents, community leaders, and legislators. Even though we are in the early stages of the campaign we do have a slogan……Don’t Silence Their Voices! We are committed to LEADING the fight to save our choral programs that are such a vital part of the daily education process!!


addresses and make sure the correct area/s of interest are checked.


2)Update your AVA profile by logging in to alavocal.org. and clicking “up-date” on the homepage. If you have forgotten your user name and password you can obtain a reminder from the webmaster by email, cathy@alavocal.org. Many AVA members have never entered information into this database and we need you to do this. To do so, click “sign-up” on the homepage and follow the instructions.


It’s especially important to update email and mailing May/June 2011


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