LLMEA Newsletter

As we enter (Spring) Musical March Madness, let us not forget that it is also Music in Our Schools Month. Be your own advocate and find ways to promote music education in our schools. NAfME provides many wonderful resources for this month and they can all be found at the following link: https://nafme.org/programs/miosm/. We rounded out our High School LLMEA County festivals with the county band festivals. Both went extremely well and provided wonderful musical opportunities for all those involved! This week March 4-8, LLMEA is sponsoring our own ensemble adjudication festival held at Millersville University. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Scott Muenz for more information. Good Luck with all of your spring musicals! Please read the information below pertaining to the Honors Banquet in April. Deadline for registration is April 1st.

On February 3rd, the high school county band north festival took place at Palmyra High School hosted by co-hosts, Andrew Spotts (Palmyra) and Todd Narehood (A-C). Guest Conductors, Dr. Hinton, (Susquehanna University) and Mr. Dave Cooper (ret. Wilson SD) challenged our high school band musicians with exciting band literature which they executed well.

The LLMEA High School/Middle School band south festival took place at Lancaster Mennonite School on February 3rd hosted by Nathan Sheffer (LM) and Kaitlyn Pekarik (Lancaster Catholic). The guest conductors for the event were Howard Boots (ret. Cocalico SD) middle school band and Dr. Joe Cernuto conducting the High School band.

You are cordially invited to attend the LLMEA Honors Banquet. This year the banquet will be held at the Eden Resort and Suites on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The event is being hosted by Melodie and David Fair, ELCO School District.

At the banquet we take the time to honor our colleagues who are retiring after years of dedicated service, honor the winners of the Private Teacher Award, and we honor seniors from every participating high school who have made noteworthy contributions to their school's music program.

The cost is $22 for LLMEA Members, $32 for nominated students, and $32 for administration/guests.

LLMEA asks that each school district submit only one banquet registration form. Please have one member of your district's music department gather all the necessary information and complete the online registration form found on our website: http://www.llmea.org/honors-banquet.html. After registering, you will receive an invoice by email. The registration Deadline is April 1, 2024.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL DIRECTORS: Each school may nominate up to eight senior music students from their school in any combination of the following categories: Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Keyboard, Jazz, Marching Band, Show Choir, Music Technology, Classroom Music, or a teacher designated category that appropriately describes the student's contribution to your school program. Please visit llmea.org/honors-banquet.html and download the PDF form at the bottom of that page. Give a copy to the students you will be nominating, and have them complete it. Then forward it to your district representative who should complete the online student information form accurately for each student (how data is entered is how it will appear on their certificate and in the Senior Slideshow!)

The registration deadline is April 1, 2024

Thank you very much, and we hope to see you there!

Believe it or not, plans are underway for LLMEA festivals for the 2024-2025 school year. The following high schools are scheduled to host according to our rotational schedule.

HS ORCHESTRA - Warwick

HS BAND NORTH - Lebanon/Northern Lebanon

HS/MS BAND SOUTH - Lancaster School District

HS CHORUS - Lancaster School District/Lancaster Country Day

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNTY CHORUS FESTIVAL - Host Still Needed

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNTY ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL - Manheim Township

MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND NORTH FESTIVAL - Donegal

Main items to be addressed at this point would be reservation of facilities and letters from your superintendents acknowledging the responsibility of hosting a festival. If you have any questions or concerns about hosting a festival or would like to volunteer to host one the middle school chorus festival next school year, please contact David Fair dfair@elcosd.org. We would like to have festival hosts solidified by April of 2024.

March 4-9 - LLMEA Adjudication Festival

March 8-9 - Region V Chorus Festival - Dover HS and Messiah University

April 1 - DEADLINE FOR HONORS BANQUET REGISTRATION

April 5-6 - LLMEA Middle School Band North Festival - Lebanon SD

April 13 - LLMEA MS Chorus Festival - Columbia SD

April 16 - LLMEA Honors Banquet - Eden Resort hosted by ELCO HS

April 17-20 - PMEA State Conference

May 1 - LLMEA Executive Board Meeting - Bulls Head Pub