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 2012-13. 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:
https://www.nationalbandassociation.org/awards/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 web
site,
www.nationalbandassociation.org including
selective music lists, conducting and composition projects, awards,
grants, and much more.
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
Director of Bands
334-844-3179
(office)
334-844-3170
(fax)