Mark Foster, Jazz Chair
By now, hopefully, everyone is working with their students on the all state jazz band audition music. Students need to record their CDs and submit them to their directors in time for the
directors to mail them to me by November 7th. Directors should check each student recording to make sure the cd plays correctly. There should be no writing on the cd, only the case or sleeve. Remember that there is a $15.00 audition fee for each student and a $20.00 school fee for each school. Recordings submitted without these funds will not be adjudicated. Checks should be included with the package of recordings. Please encourage your students to purchase the books with the audition materials. These books contain many great resources in addition to the audition music, and they will be able to use them for many years as they progress through their musical studies.
I'm very excited about our clinicians this year. Dr. Tom Walsh, director of jazz studies at the Indiana University will be leading the Gold Jazz Band. Dr. Bob Lark, director of jazz studies at DePaul University in Chicago will be leading the Silver Jazz Band. Mrs. Sallie Vines White, director of jazz studies at Hoover High School in
Birmingham will be directing the middle school jazz band. All three of these clinicians bring years of professional teaching and performing experience, and I am confident that they will provide an exceptional all state experience for all of our students. Please make plans to attend the concert this year on January 24th at AMEA.
Everywhere I have taught, students have wanted to play jazz. Even students who don't play "jazz instruments" want to play jazz. I think we owe it to our students to provide the opportunity for all students to play in jazz ensemble regardless of the instrument they play. My Jr. High jazz band has all the standard jazz instruments plus a flute, four clarinets, a horn, a baritone, and three tubas. It is really cool when we do improv work and the horn player stands up to solo. Many modern published charts include parts for non standard jazz instruments (flute, clarinet, horn, and tuba) which make them playable for virtually any group of students. There are also many modern charts that are playable with bands with less than full instrumentation. These charts are great and they open up the jazz experience for all students. Where we run into difficulty, however, is with the older charts in our libraries which are great, but are usually only written for the standard big band instrumentation. I have been working for several years to create parts for flute, clarinet, horn, tuba, and vibraphone for all these charts. This is time
Jane Kuehne, Research Chair
consuming, and it is a multi-year project, but It is important because there are lots of great charts out there that all kids need to know which may not have parts available for their instrument. I encourage you to start a group, and invite everyone. You will be pleasantly surprised how much the kids will enjoy it, and how much more they will enjoy playing their instruments.
Students need to know tunes. One way to accomplish this is to start with a simple book. Volume 54 (Maiden Voyage) in the Aebersold series is an excellent way for your students to learn several easy and fun charts. I try to encourage my students to have about 5-10 songs that they can play from memory. These are great for this because the harmonic and melodic structure of the charts is simple, and the improv is easy which is great for building confidence.
Have fun and play more jazz...
Poster Session Day and Time. Thursday, January 22, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
CALL FOR RESEARCH ABSTRACTS
The Alabama Music Educators Association, Higher Education Division invites research poster submissions from all levels of music scholars and practitioners. Submissions may include completed and in-progress research studies involving any aspect of music (education, therapy, history, psychology, performance, music in higher education, etc.). Research based on issues facing music educators, musicians, and music students in the Southeastern United States are especially welcome, though this is not a requirement. All submissions should meet the Code of Ethics found in the Journal of Research in Music Education. Research presented at other conferences will be considered. However, previously published work will not be accepted.
Conference Days and Location. The AMEA conference will be Thursday, January 22, 2015 through Saturday, January 24, 2015 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center in Montgomery, Alabama. See
http://www.alabamamea.org for more information.
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Proposal Submission. Interested researchers should submit a detailed abstract of the research project (up to 1000 words) as a Word or PDF document through our online submission website:
http://amea-research.org.
Deadline. Submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, November 14, 2014 for full consideration .
Process for Review & Notification. All abstracts will be peer- revised and authors will be notified of acceptance by Friday, December 6, 2013. When accepted, at least one of the authors must register and attend the AMEA Conference to present the poster.
Poster Dimensions. Posters should be professional in appearance and have poster dimensions of dimensions no larger than 36 inches X 48 inches. Presenters are expected to bring 20-30 copies of their research abstract to the session.
More Information. Contact Dr. Jane Kuehne at Auburn University by phone at (334) 844-6852 or by email at
kuehnjm@auburn.edu.
October/November 2014
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