Alabama Bandmasters Association John Cooper, President


As we face the new school year, many of us are facing a more challenging situation. With the number of teaching positions lost from last year, you may have fewer fine arts colleagues or you may have more duties outside your band responsibilities. Most of us have less money to spend, or will have to spend more time on fundraising and fee collection. Our school environments in general are more stressed, more stretched, and more strenuous.


And yet, we have the same responsibility to deliver the high quality musical experience to each of our students. If we don’t, who will? Who will recapture the musical spark of the students we see this year, if that spark is allowed to burn out?


Professions and professionals have set- backs all the time. As professionals we must do what professionals do — regroup, rethink, and reorganize.


I hope you have had time to rest and relax this summer. Life is full of changes, but this school year may have more than most. A negative attitude toward change will only drag you and those around you down. Let us all look for the silver lining and focus on the positive. Certain aspects of our jobs may be more challenging this year, but we are fortunate to be working in the profession we are.


If you haven’t already you might need to rethink your priorities, especially if your


situation has changed


significantly. What is at the core of your program? What are the most important experiences


for your


students? What are your most important priorities? I would suggest that achieving as many “musical mountain-top” moments as possible should be among your most important objectives. What are your most important avenues to meet your


ala breve priorities? Are you actively


communicating these goals to your administrators, your colleagues, the parents, and even the students? If not, start now! Remember, just because we did something last year does not mean that we have to do the same thing this year; nor does it mean that we have to do it the same way!


Finally, we must reorganize and begin implementing our plans. Just as no battle plan actually survives the battle, very few plans for the school year survive the school year! Remain focused on your objectives and continue to communicate to those around you. Sometimes challenges help us discover more effective teaching methods.


Please become involved in your district meetings and district decisions. Let us all be quick to ask for help from our colleagues, and even quicker to give help when asked. Begin making plans now for your students to participate in All-State Band tryouts, Music Performance Assessment, and the other ABA events which can benefit your


students. Plan on attending the AMEA In-Service Conference in Montgomery.


I want to thank all of our clinicians at our Summer Convention: Elva Kaye Lance, Terry Ownby, Leslie Welker, John Bradley, Deborah Basinger, Michael Holmes, Ken Ozzello, Clay Sloan, and Tommy Brannon. If you missed any of their presentations you missed an opportunity to learn! I also want to thank those that provided our Wednesday evening dinner: Craig Henson at M & P Travel/Cline Tours, Frank Godfrey and Jeff Thurber at DeMoulin Uniforms, Ron Mallory at Art’s Music, and Wayne Broom at AWB Apparel. If you didn’t attend our Summer Convention, make plans to attend next summer!


Make it a great year!


From Alabama Jazz Chair Randall Key...


All-State Jazz Band requirements are listed on the AMEA website at http://www.alabamamea.org. Click on the Alabama Bandmasters Association link located at the top of the page, then click on 2012 All-State Jazz Band requirements. The postmark deadline for All-State audition material is November 10, 2011. A special thank you is extended to Sid Dedeaux for the implementation of additional all state jazz groups. Last year’s jazz ensembles were a huge success and we certainly encourage high school and jr. high students to submit an audition recording.


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