AMEA September Newsletter
Arizona Music Educators Association
NAfME Western Division Meeting Recap
The NAfME Western Division Meeting occurs every year and involves the music education leadership (Presidents, Past-Presidents and President-Elects) from Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and Hawaii, as well as the Western Division leadership and NAfME President Denese Odegaard and CEO Mike Blakeslee. Held in San Diego this year on Sep. 16 - 18, the two-day meeting included state reports, collaboration and conversations, and information about NAfME's national priorities and initiatives, with diversity being at the top of the list.
After much discussion with these other states, it made me appreciative for the unification within AMEA and grateful to serve for our outstanding Arizona music educators. We look forward to new innovations for 2016 - 2017 and to strengthening our collective vision together. We are always here to help you in any way that we can.
Jennifer Hamilton
AMEA President
2017 AMEA Conference Information & Highlights
THIS YEAR'S AMEA CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 3 - 4, 2017 AT THE PHOENIX MARRIOTT MESA. SOME EXCITING NEW FEATURES INCLUDE:
- GUIDEBOOK CONFERENCE APP: This will replace the printed program and enhance the conference experience by offering the ability to build a customizable schedule, receive PDFs of clinic handouts and provide feedback on sessions.
- OPEN FORUM SESSIONS will continue this year, with new and relevant topics for you!
- A VARIETY OF CLINIC AND PERFORMANCE SESSIONS
OTHER USEFUL CONFERENCE LINKS that can be found at AZMEA.ORG:
- A LETTER FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORTING YOUR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCE. This letter explains the value and benefits of conference so that your administrator will support your participation.
- THE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION LINK
- HALL OF FAME AWARDS NOMINATION FORMS: Notice that we have cleaned up the awards criteria and nomination process for the Hall of Fame awards. Deadline is December 1
Arizona Band & Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA)
We are off to a great start. We are in the classroom, working with our students, navigating our way through the questions and chaos that is in our classroom every day. It is fantastic, we are teaching music. Our Fall ABODA Meeting was a tremendous success. It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet many of our new music educators in Arizona. Now that we are in the flow of teaching, there are a few things to keep in mind as you manage your school year.
- Master your deadlines. Facility requests, transportation requests, field trip paperwork, and those all-important ABODA deadlines for festivals and activities. We can help you out with the ABODA information. Sign up for text alerts or like the AMEA Facebook page. Allow us to help you be successful
- Work to create and maintain a positive and professional relationship with your administration team, office assistants (secretaries) and custodial staff. They are the true movers and shakers in a school if something needs to get done. Knowing who they are will pay off big time for you when you need them the most.
- Communicate with the parents of your students. Let them know what is happening in your program and how their child is doing in band. It is amazing how much positive can be achieved a short “attaboy” email to a mommy or daddy about their child.
- Make sure that your ensembles are fundamentally solid. Set aside enough time in rehearsals to work on tone quality, blend, balance (especially within music), technique, intonation, and musicianship. That’s a long list, but you cannot skip steps when it comes to developing your ensemble. Remember that you can rehearse the same music for weeks and still not sound good on your concerts and at festivals if your ensemble is not built on fundamental skills. Over time, these building blocks will pay huge dividends in the performance level of your students
- Create a culture of excellence in all that you and your students do. Creating a culture of excellence covers work ethic, behavior and respecting others, as well as setting a standard in everything that you, your staff, your students and your parents pursue. I am a big believer that the quality of a person’s life is related to their attempt to pursue excellence in all that they do.
- Watch and learn. Listen and learn. If you don’t know something…ask. We have a number of amazing music educators in this state who would be more than willing to lend a hand (or and ear) to help you grow as an educator. Remember, this is about our students and assisting them in navigating this amazing art form called music, and assisting them in developing into amazing humans. Enjoy the ride.
Bill Humbert
President, ABODA
Arizona Choral Educators (ACE)
Greetings ACE members:
Two years ago you received a notice similar to this one. Two years ago many of you answered the call. Two years ago an election was held and some fabulous people were selected to serve on the ACE board. The term of service is two years and that term expires this spring.
Today I am giving you notice. Today I am asking you to answer the call to serve your state, your students and the choral educators that work every day to keep our art form vibrant and thriving. Today I call on you to nominate yourself to serve on the ACE board for the 2017-2019 term.
Tomorrow, our students will need opportunity and motivation. Tomorrow, festivals and conferences will need to be planned. Tomorrow, opinions will need to be shared. Tomorrow, clinicians will need to be hired. Tomorrow, new directors will need guidance and support. Tomorrow, veteran directors will need inspiration and respect. Tomorrow, the business of Arizona Choral Educators will continue to be done by energized, motivated and vibrant people like you.
Throw your hat in the ring. If you don’t have a hat, get one and throw it in the ring. If you can’t get one, I’ll give you one :)
Thank you for the support, respect, advice and encouragement you have provided. I look forward to serving with you.
Darin Shryock
President, Arizona Choral Educators
All State Jazz and Show Choir Auditions were a great success. Thank you to all of the teachers who took time to prepare your students so well.
We look forward to seeing all the selected students and teachers at the festival in November. This year’s festival will be held on the campus of Shadow Mountain High School with the festival beginning on November 17 and ending on November 19 with a concert that begins at 5:00 PM. Thank you to Rick Ross and the administration at Shadow Mountain High School for agreeing to host this year’s festival.
Jason Neumann,
ACE VP All-State Jazz/Show Choirs
Arizona Society for General Music (AzSGM)
Student Composition Festival
2016-2017
Sponsored by the Arizona Society for General Music (AzSGM)
Eligibility
The festival is open to any student in Arizona enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Student composers who submitted a composition in previous years are still welcome to submit a composition this year.
Guidelines
Please submit the following:
An audio recording of the work. AzSGM will accept compositions of any and all musical styles.
Choose one: provide a visual representation of the work, using standard or non-standard notation, or a detailed description of the work.
Please submit the above materials via Google Drive to arizonasgm@gmail.com
All compositions submitted to AzSGM will receive feedback from music tutors and educators from around the state of Arizona.
Deadline
All of the required materials listed under “Guidelines” will need to be submitted no later than Wednesday, November 30, 2016.
AMEA Conference
The Student Composition Festival will take place during the Arizona Music Educators Association’s (AMEA’s) In-Service Conference on Saturday, February 4, 2017. Select student composers will be invited to share their compositions during the festival. If you are able to attend the conference and include a live performance during the festival, please mark that on the application. Audio recordings will also be welcome during the festival. Student composers will be notified no later than Saturday, January 21, 2017 as to whether their compositions will be included on the day of the festival.Keira Prather,
AzSGM President-Elect
Elections are coming up!
AMEA Board: Renee Shane-Boyd
ABODA Board: Scott Burgener
ACE Board: Camille Coffey
AzSGM Board: Anneka Bergstrand
THE DEADLINE FOR THE OFFICER NOMINATION FORM IS DECEMBER 1.
"ESSA" Quick Guide by Lynn Tuttle
What is ESSA?
ESSA stands for Every Student Succeeds Act and was signed into law on December 10, 2015. ESSA will replace “No Child Left Behind” as our nation's Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the main federal education law for K-12 public education.
How is ESSA different from NCLB?
ESSA places more decision-making back in the hands of school districts and states, including state accountability systems, and includes a new emphasis on a well-rounded education including music and the arts. NCLB's federally-mandated accountability system had a more narrow focus defined on reading and math
How does ESSA impact music education?
For the first time in federal law, music is listed as a stand alone subject in the well-rounded education provision of ESSA. This is huge news for music education as it means opportunities found for well-rounded education throughout the law can benefit and support music education. ESSA does NOT require music education, but Arizona administrative rule does.
When will ESSA be implemented in my school district?
2017 – 1018 will be first year of implementation
What changes can I expect to see?
Your school district should begin planning for ESSA implementation during this school year. Ask if you can be part of the Title IV-A needs assessment your district will be required to do around well-rounded education. A great tool to help you assess what your music program needs might be district-wide is NAfME's 2015 Opportunity-to-Learn Standards. NAfME has an archived webinar and tools available for you on this very subject. Click here to learn more: http://www.nafme.org/community/elearning/archived-webinars/archived-webinar-otls-title-iv-lynn-tuttle-ronny-lau/
Where can I learn more?
Visit the NAfME "Everything ESSA" page at www.bit.ly/NCLBends. Read the ESSA Implementation Toolkit to learn even more about possible opportunities from Title I to Title IV for music education under ESSA.
Lynn Tuttle is the Director of Content and Policy for the National Association for Music Education.
In Memoriam
Beloved music educator, mentor, and NAfME Lowell Mason Fellow Carroll A. Rinehart passed away on August 16, 2016. The former MENC (now NAfME) Western Division President and Arizona Music Educators Association president was a composer, author, and one the founders of the “Opening Minds through the Arts” program in the Tucson, Arizona, Public Schools. He was 92 years old.
Rinehart was born in Bellville, Ohio, and served in the U.S. Army during WWII. He brought his family to Tucson in 1952 to teach at the University of Arizona. He then served as Coordinator of Elementary Vocal Music for Tucson Unified Public Schools (TUSD).
He was a mentor to many music educators, and after retiring, he continued to work with children, helping them write and produce their own original operas.
A full article can be found on the NAfME website. On behalf of AMEA, our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.
UPCOMING DEADLINES
ABODA Deadlines
- State Marching Festival Registration 10/7
- Fall Concert Band Festival Registration 10/28
- State Marching Championships Registration 11/8
- All-State Jazz Band Live Auditions 11/18
ACE Deadlines
- All-State Jazz Show Choir Participation Registration 9/23
- Fall Choral Festival Registration 9/30
AMEA ELEM / JUNIOR HIGH Deadlines
- 8th Grade All-State Band Online Audition Submission 10/28
- Elem / Junior High All-State 6th & 7th Grade Band Nomination Registration 10/28
- Elem / Junior High All-State Choir & Orchestra Nomination Registration 10/28
- Southern AZ Elem / Junior High Honor Band Nomination 10/28
- Southern AZ Elem / Junior High Honor Orchestra Nomination 10/28
AMEA HIGH SCHOOL Deadlines
- High School Solo & Ensemble Festival Registration 11/18
Arizona Music Educators Association
Email: ameapresident@gmail.com
Website: www.azmea.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaMusicEducatorsAssociation/