Alabama Bandmasters Association John Cooper, President


What a tremendous Alabama Music Educators Association Conference we had! I had the opportunity to hear at least part of every performance and all but one clinic and I felt it was one of our best years! That is due to you, our Alabama Bandmasters Association members, and the fine work that you do with your bands and in your effort to improve yourself professionally.


I am again reminded that our greatest asset as an organization is our individual members. Our District Chairmen work so hard this time of year in organizing All- State tryouts and organizing Music Performance Assessment; and they do this in addition to all


I have always felt that this time of year was the most important time for each band’s future success. Hopefully, we each have the opportunity for sustained effort on quality music followed by assessment designed to improve our students as well as our own instruction.


If you are a new teacher you have probably settled into a routine. Take the opportunity to go outside your routine and have some experienced directors listen to your band – and don’t be afraid to have them do it before you are “ready.”


Two proposals have been submitted to the board, received a second, and will be discussed and voted on at our All-State meetings. The full texts of these proposals are below (page 30 & 31) in this edition of the Ala Breve and I would encourage you to read them carefully.


their “regular”


responsibilities as a band director. Each of you, after careful consideration of your individual band member’s strengths and weaknesses, have programmed and begun rehearsing music for Assessment. You are elevating your


students musically,


evaluating the progress of the previous day, and planning for the day to come.


Proposal 2012-1 is a long proposal that comes to us from the committee to consider making changes in the All-State Percussion tryout procedures. It makes at least three significant changes in current procedure. First, it defines and equalizes each area of the audition (mallet, snare drum, and timpani). Second, it prescribes the use of


Proposal 2012-1 - All-State Percussion Revisions


Article XV, Section 2, Paragraph B: Change the following sentence: A student auditioning for the High School Bands must correctly play a minimum of seven (7) major scales with their related arpeggios, and a student auditioning for the Junior High Band must correctly play five (5) major scales with their related arpeggios to advance to the Prepared Studies and Sight Reading portions of the All-State Band audition.


To read as follows: A student auditioning on a wind instrument or string bass for the High School Bands must correctly play a minimum of seven (7) major scales with their related arpeggios, and a student auditioning on a wind instrument or string bass for the Middle School Band must correctly play five (5) major scales with their related arpeggios to advance to the Prepared Studies and Sight Reading portions of the All-State Band audition.


Remove the sentence: “Snare drummers must successfully complete all of the rudiments to advance to the prepared Studies and Sight Reading portions of the All-State Band audition.”


Article XV, Section 2: Add the following paragraph: Membership in the Alabama All-State Bands for percussion students will be determined by district auditions in three areas: mallets, snare drum, and timpani. The audition will be broken down as follows:


Mallet scales: 20%, Mallet prepared etude: 40%, Mallet sightreading: 40% Snare rudiments: 20%, Snare prepared etude: 40%, Snare sightreading: 40% Timpani tuning: 20%, Timpani prepared etude: 40%, Timpani sightreading: 40%


30


time limits in the area of scales/rudiments during the audition. Third, it eliminates the scales and rudiment barrier during the audition. Proposal 2012-2 eliminates the Third Year Provision in our current All- State legislation. It will only affect ninth grade students who are enrolled in a middle school/junior high in which band instruction begins in the seventh grade.


At our AMEA Board Meeting, the board approved the use of audition music composed specifically for our All-State auditions. Students will no longer be using three excerpts from method books, but rather be using two exercises composed for our auditions. These exercises, with the exception of the percussion exercises, are now online. The percussion exercises are now being reviewed and will hopefully be online by April. Please continue to watch the AMEA/ABA website in the coming months. Changes will be made to make the rules and requirements clearer to students and more convenient to the band directors.


Enjoy this time of year as you see the weekly improvement of your students! Good luck at Music Performance Assessment!


Each instrument will be one third of the student’s total score.


Mallet scales: Senior high students will play 12 major scales and arpeggios two octaves, as well as the A melodic minor and C harmonic minor scales two octaves within the time limit prescribed by the music selection committee. Middle school students will play 12 major scales and arpeggios one octave, as well as the A melodic minor and C harmonic minor scales one octave within the time limit prescribed by the music selection committee. Students will be awarded points for every scale and arpeggio they successfully complete within the allotted time limit. No percussion student will be eliminated from the All-State audition for failing to perform a minimum number of scales.


Snare drum rudiments: Single stroke roll Long roll (double stroke roll) Each snare drum rudiment should be performed open-closed-open (slow-fast- slow) with a smooth transition. Students should take no longer than 1 minute to perform each rudiment.


Timpani tuning: Students will be allotted 1 minute to tune the timpani for the prepared etude. Students may use any pitch source they wish as many times as they wish within the allotted time limit. For evaluation purposed, the tuning process must be audible to the judges. Once students have begun performing the prepared etude, they are not allowed to use any outside pitch source. The tuning procedure will be repeated for the sightreading etude.


Submitted by the AllState Percussion Revision Committee Clay Sloan, Chair, Austin High School


February/March 2012


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