Rusty Courson - President, Alabama Bandmasters Association
I hope everyone has enjoyed a GREAT start to your school year!!! As I write this, marching season is in full swing as we
are preparing for our fifth football game and our first marching contest. This time last year, we were dealing with oppressive heat as we experienced one of the hottest summers on record. This year, it has been reasonably cool when compared to the conditions we dealt with last year, but we’ve also experienced one of the wettest summers on record. I truly believe that band directors deal with adversity and better understand how to persevere than any other class of human beings in existence!!! Of course, it also helps that with 21st century technology, we can keep an eye on the weather with apps on our smart phones and websites on our computers that have real time radar:-). The good news is that by the time you’re reading this, most of us will have shifted into working on concert literature, so the weather won’t play into our decisions so much.
Hopefully everyone is planning to attend our annual AMEA In-Service Conference at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center in Montgomery on January 23-25, 2014. We have an outstanding selection of bands from every level slated to perform this year, along with several outstanding clinics that I know you’re going to want to attend. Make sure that you check out the clinic schedule found in this issue…and make plans to attend. Go ahead and pre- register NOW!!! You can take care of this online at
www.alabamamea.org.
Proposal 2014-1 All State Percussion Tryouts
REMOVE: Snare drummers must successfully play all of the rudiments to advance to the Prepared Studies and Sight Reading Portions of the All-State Band Audition.
ADD: New Audition Sheet Requirements (below) Board approved Directors and Adjudicators Instructions (attached) Board approved Etude Composition Requirements (attached)
NOTE: Adjudicators will now utilize only two rooms – Room One for the scales, rudiments, and sight-reading and Room Two for prepared etudes.
HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSION REQUIREMENTS
Snare Drum Requirements -The snare drum audition will be performed on a concert snare drum, with concert snare drum sticks (sticks and snare drums will not be provided).
8
By now, I’m sure that you have received information from your district chairs regarding upcoming events and dates. For a quick reference point, you can always to go to the website or check out the schedule of events in this issue of Ala Breve for information on all state and district level events for the year.
Our Music Performance Assessments begin in February and run through the month of March. Don’t forget that one of your selections must be on the cumulative music list found on our website. Classification information for MPA can also be found in our bylaws. If you have questions about your classification, check with your district chair or feel free to contact me directly. In addition, if you feel that you’re in a situation that warrants a temporary reclassification, you will need to make an appearance before the ABA Board on Wednesday evening before the beginning of the AMEA Conference. You can contact me to facilitate that meeting.
Likewise, if you’re planning to request approval to play a selection that is not on the cumulative list, you will need to fill out the Request to Perform a Composition NOT on the Cumulative List Form and get it to Vice-President Mike Holmes no later than January 17, 2014 (note this is NOT a postmark deadline…he needs to receive your request BY this date). DO NOT send an original score. Send a copy that will be destroyed at the end of the approval process. In addition, send a recording that can be destroyed upon completion, or through digital means such as a weblink, dropbox file, etc. For your convenience, a copy of the form can be downloaded from
the "Forms" page of the ABA website.
If you haven’t already, please go ahead and renew your NAfME membership. In order for your students to participate in ABA events, your membership must be current. You can take care of this online at
www.nafme.org or click the "Join" button on the AMEA website.
The housing form for All-State in Huntsville is available on the website. Please take into consideration that every room reserved using the housing form defrays what the ABA has to pay the Von Braun Center for All-State weekend!!! For your convenience, you can download the form from the ABA website.
We have two pieces of legislation up for consideration during our business meetings at AMEA. Proposal 2014-1 involves restructuring of our all-state percussion auditions. This effort has involved MANY different directors across the state, so please read the legislation carefully so you can make an informed decision. Proposal 2014-2 involves the restructuring of our fees for Music Performance Assessment. This will really only impact schools that take multiple bands to MPA. This is an effort to ensure that our fee structure is covering the actual cost of MPA throughout the state.
I hope all of you continue to have great years and I look forward to seeing you at AMEA in Montgomery in January…if not before!!! If I can help you with anything please don’t hesitate to email me at
courson.rusty@
lee.k12.al.us.
Required Rudiments: Single Stroke Roll - performed open-closed-open with smooth transition. (16 points) Double Stroke Roll - performed open-closed-open with smooth transition. (16 points)
• Prepared Etude (65 points) • Playing Technique (23 points)
Mallet Requirements -The mallet audition is to be performed with appropriate mallets (mallets will not be provided).
Major Scales: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, and G. Each scale should be performed two octaves, with alternate sticking, including arpeggio. One point will be awarded for each completed scale, and one point for each corresponding arpeggio. It is recommended that the performers play each scale at MM = 100, per quarter note (playing eighth notes). Each student must pass seven scales and related arpeggios in
October/November 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64