Rusty Courson - President, Alabama Bandmasters Association
Hopefully everyone has had a productive beginning of school. At this point, thanks to the new football schedule adopted by the AHSAA, some of us are preparing for our sixth football game, which seems really strange to me. With that being stated, I remember very well that when I first started teaching in the late 1980’s, we didn’t start school until late August, yet always had at least one football game before school even started. Despite the rain that we’ve dealt with this year (I know of several of you that have lost MANY rehearsals this year because of the wet stuff), I hope that you’ve been able to adequately prepare your groups as we quickly approach contest season.
I know that you will want to be in attendance for our annual AMEA In-Service Conference this year at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center in Montgomery. Our conference will be held on January 22-24, 2015. Please check the conference schedule, found in this edition of the Ala Breve, as we have outstanding bands slated to perform at every level that I know you’ll want to hear. In addition, you should be able to find many clinics that will be helpful as you strive to better yourself as an educator, and your band program as well.
Take advantage of this
opportunity to earn professional development in OUR academic discipline (and yes…music IS an academic discipline!!!). Go ahead and pre- register online ASAP by going to the AMEA website at
www.alabamamea.org.
Looking ahead, make sure that you check out the link on our website to our calendar of events, broken down by district. State dates (such as AMEA and All-State) are included as well.
Music Performance Assessments will start in February and run through March. Please remember that ONE of your selections must come from the cumulative music list, which has been moved to our new website being developed through our relationship with Dorian Business Systems (aka Charms), which can be found at
www.abafest.com. The new cumulative list is VERY functional and is actually searchable. If you haven’t used it yet…go check it out. If you plan to submit a request to play something that is NOT on the cumulative list, please fill out the Request to Perform a Composition NOT on the Cumulative List Form and get it to Mike Holmes no later than January 16, 2015. Note: This is NOT a postmark deadline. He needs to receive this NO LATER than this date. Please DON’T send an original score, but send a copy that will be destroyed IMMEDIATELY after the approval process has taken place. This form is found on the ABA Forms link found on the ABA website.
Please make sure that your information on the ABAFEST webpage is current. We have finally stepped into the 21st century, and your district chairs, along with your state officers, will use this format to communicate EVERYTHING to you. If you don’t register, you’re not going to receive information, so please take care of this now if you haven’t already.
Our All-State Band Festival will take place in Mobile this year. We had a great experience there in the past and I know that you’re looking forward to returning there with your students next spring. Our executive secretary, Harry McAfee, recently sent out information regarding
Alabama Bandmasters Association Legislation 2015-01 Submitted by: Joel Henson Delete: From Article XVI: Alabama Bandmasters Music Performance Assessment/Section 5. Alabama Bandmasters Music Performance Assessment Ratings Delete the following: A band which earns straight A’s in every caption, including sight reading, will earn the rating of “Superior With Distinction.” Rationale: Essentially, we have created a five rating system which was not the in- tent of the original legislation. The rating is inconsistent and is not being inter- preted the same way throughout the state. This practice puts a single rating in the hands of one judge.
Legislation 2015-2 - CLASSIFICATION of BANDS for MPA: 1) Remove Article XVI Section 2. Add:
Section 2. Classification of Bands a. For the purposes of the ABA Music Performance Assessment, bands will be classified according to the following criteria: Classifications: AA bands will play a composition off of the AA ABA Cumulative List A bands will play a composition off of the A ABA Cumulative List BB bands will play a composition off of the BB ABA Cumulative List B bands will play a composition off of the B ABA Cumulative List CC bands will play a composition off of the CC ABA Cumulative List C bands will play a composition off of the C ABA Cumulative List D bands will play a composition off of the D ABA Cumulative List
ala breve
all-state housing. If you didn’t receive this, either you haven’t registered on
www.abafest.com, or you moved to another school and didn’t update your registration. This is just ONE reason that your registration needs to be current:-).
We have two pieces of legislation that will be voted on at AMEA. It is published below in this edition of Ala Breve, so please take a few moments to read it so you can make an informed decision. Legislation 2015-1 involves the removal of the Superior with Distinction recognition that was adopted when we moved from the district/state format to our current Music Performance
Assessment format.
Legislation 2015-2 involves a proposal that would change the classification of band programs for MPA purposes.
One last time, PLEASE consider attending our AMEA conference this year. If you have in the past, but haven’t returned in a year or two for whatever reason, please consider returning this year. If you’ve NEVER been, you need to see what it’s all about. This is our opportunity to meet with music educators from throughout the State of
Alabama to better ourselves
professionally, and to discuss issues current to our discipline, and I’m sure that you’re aware that there are many!!! Music IS an academic discipline and if we don’t treat is as such, how can we expect our colleagues and administrators to give us serious consideration as educators. I hope to see you there!!!
Sight Reading: Bands classified as AA will sight read from the level VI sight reading list Bands classified as A will sight read from the level V sight reading list Bands classified as BB and B will sight read from the level IV sight reading list Bands classified as CC and C will sight read from the level III sight reading list Nonbeginning
bands classified as D will sight read from the level II sight reading list Beginning bands (all students in their first and second year of band) classified as D will sight
read from the level VI sight reading list
b. From the pieces chosen by the director for performance at Music Performance Assessment, ONE
Composition must be from the approved Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA) Cummulative Music List.
c. Bands will be classified by their chosen selection from the ABA Cumulative Music List and their chosen sight reading level. If different classifications are chosen, the band's official classi- fication will be the lower of the two classifications. AMENDMENT (to be presented at AMEA in January): d. NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN MULTIPLE BANDS. If a director has a special need for a student playing in a second band, the director shall present the facts and circumstances prompting the request to the Board of Directors at the AMEA Inservice Conference in January. The director will be notified immediately if possible, but within seven (7) days if further study is necessary. FOR ANY STUDENT TO QUALIFY IN ADDITIONAL BAND(S), HE OR SHE MUST PERFORM ON A DIFFERENT INSTRUMENT.
17
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