Jody Powell,- President, Alabama Vocal Association
many bills that were not in place years ago.
Music in Good Times and Bad
Hello Everyone, I am hoping that your school year has gotten off to a great start and that everything is starting to groove. It was great seeing all of you at Fall Workshop.
I thought it was an
outstanding two days. It was especially nice to meet all of our new teachers in AVA. A very special thank you is extended to Dr. Marvin Latimer and the University of Alabama for allowing AVA to use their wonderful facilities. Also thanks to Dr. Carl Hancock for presenting his survey of music education from the State of Alabama. Carl really has outdone himself with the surveys and research of the teachers in our state. AVA is standing firmly behind his conclusions and data to add to the advocacy programs in the state to keep music alive in our schools. Thanks also to Brent Coleman and Melissa Bonds for their take on “Everything Apps.” That session gave us many tools that we could use in our choral programs in the 21st century. To Carl Davis, thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and expertise with all of the sessions in which you had a part. Also thanks to Kathy Hughes for her excellent report on AVA Advocacy and Terry Moore,
our outstanding
accompanist for the weekend. A very special thank you is extended to the J.W. Pepper Company for providing our New Teacher Luncheon at the workshop.
If you have registered for any AVA events, you have noticed that there has been a restructuring of our fees. Fees have not been raised since 2004 and it has become necessary to raise fees so that AVA will remain solvent in the next few years. Thank you so much for your cooperation and understanding as we have added many expenses and incurred
14 October/November 2013
Speaking of registering, by now you and your students are working very hard preparing music for ASSC, All-State audition, Honor Choir, and OCS/OA/ME. Be aware of the deadlines for registration so that you do not have to pay the late fees involved with late registration.
All-State Show Choir auditions will be held at UAB in Birmingham, not in different locations as the past few years. ASSC auditions are October 10-12. The All-State Auditions will be held in all Districts starting October 31 and ending November 8. You may attend these auditions in any District. The Honor Choir Screenings and OCS/OA/ME will be held in your own District in November. Make sure you check the calendar for the correct dates. Please encourage your students to participate in the AVA events. They will be able to build lifetime memories when they do.
The annual AMEA Conference will again be held in Montgomery, January 23-25, 2014. Please make plans to attend this conference to better you as a music educator. This year we have the All-State Show Choir and the AMEA Honor Choir. The Honor Choir will be conducted by Dr. Christopher Aspaas from St. Olaf and
the ASSC led by Jarad Voss and Mark Myers. Along with these groups we will feature the Florence Middle School Chorus, The Huntsville Middle School Chorus, Spain Park High School Choir, Vestavia High School Choir, Pleasant Grove High School Choir, Gardendale High School Choir and the University of Montevallo Choir. This is an outstanding slate of choral performances that I am sure we will all enjoy. We have several prestigious presenters this year, too. Composer Earlene Rentz, Melinda Doyle, Megan Wicks-Rudolph, Randi Bolden, Rob Lyda, Erin Colwitz, Tommy Bice and a performance by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. There will also be a large assortment of exhibits to visit.
I hope that you take advantage of all of the opportunities that AVA has to offer. The AVA Board works very hard for you. We have no agendas. We are here to serve you. If you ever have any needs or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask your District Chair. If you have any suggestions to better AVA, please let those be known. Just remember, “ Music gets you through hard times, helps heal your heart, is always there on your good days and never leaves you alone on those bad days.” - Unknown
Have a great year. See you at AMEA.
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