Monday, February 17, 2014

ABA District 2 2014 Music Performance Assessment Schedule


 
         
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014        
MORNING        
Gadsden MS 7th Grade Intermediate Band Brian Bankston D 8:00
Ranburne HS Intermediate Band Samuel Childs D 8:30
Zora Ellis JHS Concert Band Stephen Arline G 9:00
Moody JHS Concert Band Brad Sargent G 9:30
Scottsboro JHS Concert Band Steven Porter F 10:00
Sylvania HS Concert Band Cindy Stephens DD 10:30
Childersburg HS Concert Band James Rogers DD 11:00
Gadsden City HS Concert Band Jill DeGaetano C 11:30
AFTERNOON        
Winterboro HS Concert Band Grayson Lawrence DD 1:00
Cleveland HS Golden Force Band Thomas Duke DD 1:30
Susan Moore HS Concert Band Skylar McHan DD 2:00
Pleasant Valley HS Concert Band Haley Jackson DD 2:30
Central HS of Clay Co. Concert Band Russell Hathcock DD 3:00
The Donoho School Concert Band David Swinney C 3:30
Hokes Bluff HS Symphonic Band Brett Causey CC 4:00
Talladega HS Concert Band Duane Player B 4:30
EVENING        
Alexandria HS Concert Band Anna Barnes DD 6:00
Jacksonville HS Concert Band Jeff  Gossett DD 6:30
Springville HS Concert Band David  Curren B 7:00
Gadsden City HS Symphonic Band Steve Reagan A 7:30
         
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014        
MORNING        
Gadsden MS 8th Grade Advanced Band Brian Bankston D 8:00
Piedmont MS Concert Band Jamie Thomas G 8:30
Fort Payne MS 7th Grade Concert Band Tim Harris G 9:00
Albertville MS Concert Band Missy Lindley G 9:30
Oxford MS Honors Band Bryan Bradbury F 10:00
Fort Payne MS 8th Grade Concert Band Tim Harris F 10:30
Arab JHS Concert Band Amy L. Isom F 11:00
Weaver HS Concert Band Jared  Holland DD 11:30
AFTERNOON        
Emma Sansom MS Concert Band Stacy Harris F 1:00
Ider HS Concert Band Brandon Pruitt DD 1:30
Gaston 7th-12th Concert Band Gena Nix DD 2:00
Saks HS Concert Band Gene Inglis DD 2:30
Guntersville HS Concert Band Steve Smith C 3:00
Piedmont HS Concert Band Jamie Thomas C 3:30
Albertville HS Symphonic Band Taylor Cash C 4:00
EVENING        
Locust Fork HS Concert Band Crist Sperling CC 5:30
Scottsboro HS Symphonic Band Jimmy Leek BB 6:00
Southside HS Symphonic Band Matt Weaver BB 6:30
Oxford HS Symphonic Winds David McDaniel A 7:00
         
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014        
MORNING        
Lincoln HS Honors Ensemble Felisha Romine DD 8:00
Wellborn HS Concert Band David Hobbs DD 8:30
Ashville HS Concert Band Woody Francis DD 9:00
Boaz HS Concert Band Alex Stephenson DD 9:30
Crossville HS Concert Band Chris Davis DD 10:00
White Plains HS Concert Band Wendy Etter DD 10:30
Ranburne HS Concert Band Samuel Childs C 11:00
K.D.S. DAR HS Concert Band Jody Stiles CC 11:30
AFTERNOON        
Odenville MS Symphonic Band Brandon Cornutt G 1:00
Rainbow MS Concert Band Alicia Probst F 1:30
Glencoe HS Concert Band Mike Bright DD 2:00
Holly Pond HS Concert Band Luette  Benefield DD 2:30
Sardis HS Concert Band Rick Whitmire DD 3:00
Munford HS Concert Band Jared Ross C 3:30
Arab HS Concert Band Ray Duncan C 4:00
Moody HS Concert Band Brad Sargent B 4:30
EVENING        
Saint Clair Co. HS Symphonic Band Brandon Cornutt B 6:00
Arab HS Symphonic Band Paul Tallent BB 6:30
Fort Payne HS Symphonic Band Mark Andrews BB 7:00
Albertville HS Wind Ensemble Chris Lindley A 7:30
       





Friday, October 11, 2013

From NBA Alabama State Chair, Dr. Corey Spurlin


Colleagues,
     I hope you have had a successful Fall Semester. As the Alabama state chair for the National Band Association, I would like to recognize ensembles in our state that perform at any Regional or National events this year. Please let me know if your marching or concert groups have had or will have an opportunity such as this in 2013-14. In our NBA meetings at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, I would like to share the great music making and teaching that is going on across our state.
     I am also writing to encourage your participation and membership in this important professional organization. If you are unfamiliar with the NBA, it was founded in 1960 and promotes the musical and educational significance of bands. It is dedicated to the attainment of the highest levels of excellence for bands and band music. We are living and working in a time where advocacy for bands is extremely important, and the NBA is solely focused on the promotion of this single artistic medium. The organization does not limit membership to a certain style or level of band participation, but is open to all teachers and performers that wish to advance the art form. 
     On a national level, the NBA has numerous projects that help advance band music and education. The organization provides all members with the official NBA magazine, The Instrumentalist. The NBA also publishes the NBA Journal and provides an online directory to help communication and collegiality among band directors. Members also have access to a selective concert band music list to aid with programming. The organization holds national and regional conventions and sponsors the Revelli Composition Contest, the Merrill Jones Young Composers Contest, the International Conducting Symposium, and the Young Composer and Conductor Mentor Projects. These are just a few of the NBA projects that help develop excellence in band performance at all levels and provide an avenue for the enhancement of band literature.
     On the state level, NBA presents awards at the AMEA conference and other state and regional events to recognize outstanding achievement in band performance and education. Should you become a member of NBA, you would be eligible to nominate and present some NBA awards in your county/district as well as within your own band program. This is a great way to honor a deserving colleague or student in your band or in  your area. A listing of these awards, which are all free to members, can be found at: http://www.nationalbandassociation.org/awards.  When needed and requested, the Alabama membership of NBA also sponsors events (honor bands, clinics, guest performers, etc...) that help further the development and recognition of bands in our state. It is my goal to increase the Alabama membership in NBA by 15% so that we may be able to offer more services to our state directors and programs. I would love to hear your suggestions regarding ways that NBA can better serve your needs in the state.
     I know there are many options for professional membership in our field, but NBA is dedicated to your needs as band director. If you would like to become a member, dues are $55 and there are numerous benefits other than supporting your profession:
     * The Instrumentalist - official monthly magazine, sent to all active members. 
     * The NBA Journal - published three times yearly (May, October (NBA insert in The Instrumentalist) & December)
     * Access to all areas of the NEW NBA web site, www.nationalbandassociation.org including selective music lists, professional advice, conducting and composition projects, awards, grants, and much more.
     You can join online or print out a form and mail in the application for membership: http://www.nationalbandassociation.org/join/
     The NBA is a wonderful organization of professional music educators. I do hope you¹ll plan to join this worthwhile organization today, and I look forward to seeing your name added to our statewide roster. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Corey Spurlin
NBA Alabama State Chair
------------------------------------
Director, Auburn University Marching Band
Associate Professor of Music
334-844-3179 (office)
334-844-3170 (fax)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Corrected HS Bassoon Exercise


One of our band directors emailed me yesterday regarding m.26 of the second high school bassoon exercise.  There was a grace note A-flat that moved to a G-sharp.  Looking ahead to the next measure, my initial thought was that the grace note was probably supposed to be an A-natural.  I emailed Dr. Jacobs to verify, and he confirmed that to be the case and emailed me a corrected version.  I sent it to Garry Taylor and he has already posted the corrected exercise on the website.   If you would, just drop a notification to everyone in your district through email that a small error was found and the corrected version has been posted.
 
I'm actually surprised that someone hadn't brought this to my attention before now, but on the other hand, maybe we don't have a great number of bassoons that are already working on all-state yet:-).  Thanks for your help with this!
 
Rusty Courson, Ed.S. (ABD)
Director of Bands
Smiths Station High School
P.O. Box 253
4228 Lee Road 430
Smiths Station, AL  36877-0253
School:  (334) 664-4435
Home:  (334) 298-7128
Cell:  (706) 289-4721
Fax:  (334) 298-1304
website:  www.sshsband.org
President:  Alabama Bandmasters Association

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

From ABA president elect, Mike Holmes


Directors,

If you plan to request to play a piece of music for MPA that is not on the ABA Cumulative List then you must follow the steps listed below by "the third Friday in January" (Received byJanuary 17, 2014, not postmarked)

1. Go to the ABA web site
2. Open the ABA Forms tab
3. Open the "Request to Play Compositions Not on Cumulative List" tab
4. Print that form and follow the instructions on the form
5. Please note that you must include aPhotocopy (not an original-the photo copy will go into the recycle bin once I have finished with it) of the score and a recording (CD that you do not want returned to you) of the piece you wish to play.
6. Every part of the application must be completed in order for me to consider your request.

Please be aware that we have an extensive list of approved music from which you can choose.  I highly recommend that you exhaust that list prior to submitting a request to play a piece not on the list.

Sincerely,

Micheal S. Holmes-Vice-President/President Elect
Alabama Bandmasters Association
Mountain Brook Jr. High School

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

2014 All-State Requirements are revised and available

The 2014 All-State requirements have been revised and are now available on the ABA website.  For easy access click on the link to the left of this post.  Even easier, click here.

Some of the exercises have been revised since they were originally published back in the Spring.  Any exercise that has been changed or modified will have "Revised" clearly marked on the part.

Monday, June 3, 2013

From Dr. David Lambert, JSU Trombone professor

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you're having a wonderful and restful summer!  I'd like to take this opportunity to once again invite your students to participate in the 2013 JSU Summer Trombone Ensemble at Mason Hall on JSU's campus. Details and registration forms can be found on our website at jsutrombones.weebly.com.

Also, if any of your students are interested in taking private lessons from me, I'm available any time - just let me know!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me anytime at dlambert@jsu.edu.  Thanks!

Sincerely,

Dr. David Lambert
Trombone Professor
Jacksonville State University