Carl Hancock AMEA President


O u t l i n i n g a n A g e n d a f o r t h e F u t u r e o f o u r G r e a t A s s o c i a t i o n !


Welcome back friends. With this first column, I want to take a moment to outline where we are today


and what I will work on as your President. I am excited about serving and humbled by your faith and trust. But first, let me recognize the efforts of our Executive Director and Ala Breve Editor, Garry Taylor, for making our Association an efficient and sound organization. He is beginning his 10th year as our ED, and we are fortunate to have his experience and wisdom on the Governing Board. I also want to honor the resolute leadership of our Past President, Sara Womack. Vision is difficult to come by. Yet, Sara’s “goalposts” established a strategic direction for our Association. Because of their leadership, I believe we see farther than before and therefore can set an ambitious agenda for the future.


Four Milestones


As your President, I will focus the governance of the AMEA on meeting four major milestones. The first milestone will


between our music divisions, active members, other organizations, and school administrators; and fourth, I will work to elevate efficiency in our organization by transforming aspects of our governance structure.


1. Establishing Connections


Professional Outreach. Our Association must establish connections with leading and rising stars to create new opportunities for professional growth and in-service education. Since June 1, the AMEA began an active campaign of strengthening relationships with professionals from across the US by inviting educators in choral, band, elementary, strings, and general music to contribute articles written exclusively for the Ala Breve. Our first contributor is the noted conductor, clinician, and author, Edward S. Lisk. His article titled, The Importance of Music Study, offers a clear argument for music education and challenges us to embrace our role as advocates for music education.


Special Clinician’s Fund. To encourage nationally recognized luminaries to take part in our in-service conference, I asked for the


AMEA Executive Director Garry Taylor, President-Elect Susan Smith, and President Carl Hancock prepare for Capitol Hill visits during NAfME’s National Assembly


involve establishing connections with nationally recognized advocates, teachers, scholars, and musicians to enhance the quality of our in-service learning. For the second milestone, we will work on escalating advocacy by engaging members of our state legislature through data-driven arguments and music performances. Third, I will work on enhancing communications


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Governing Board to pass a budget that included allocations for the elementary, vocal, and band divisions to solicit and support nationally recognized clinicians to present sessions. I believe providing these resources will allow


our divisions to experiment and try new approaches from across the country, which can lead to better teaching and student learning.


Research Connections. How many of us have been tempted to post a link showing how music participation is correlated with some aspect of academic performance,


Music Business Connections. Music businesses are an important part of our state’s economy and visible supporter of the arts. As your President, I will continue to cultivate this mutually beneficial relationship and make our in-service conference inviting to merchants and publishers. I am pleased that Becky Lightfoot (Art’s Music Shop) will continue to serve on the Governing Board as our Industry Liaison. This year, besides the many merchants who come to the in- service conference and guests sponsored by our divisions, I invited the FJH Music Company to sponsor a reading band and clinician to expand our relationships with other national enterprises.


AMEA


Collegiate Connections. The AMEA is the largest Alabama organization supporting music teachers and music students at all grade-levels. However, my observations suggest we are struggling to maintain connections with our universities. I asked Dr. James Zingara, President of the HED Division, to invite music directors from our colleges to discuss the state of higher education in Alabama at our January conference. Moreover, I am pleased to report that the Alabama chapter of the College Band Directors National Association will host the third edition of the Alabama Intercollegiate Band at the conference with Colonel John R. Bourgeois, the 25th Director of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, conducting. I am looking forward to having so many college students attending in January. Finally, to improve communications about preservice teacher training, I asked our Collegiate Advisor, Dr. Ted Hoffman, to coordinate issues and suggest alterations to our organization to help in-service teachers secure interns from our colleges and universities.


August/September 2014


intelligence, or social development? To further understand these connections as an organization, I invited Dr. Robert Duke, NAfME’s Chair of the Society for Research in Music Education to attend the 2015 in- service conference and talk about how educators and musicians develop expertise.


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