Greetings,

I hope you have had a wonderful summer and a positive beginning to a new school year. The 2009-2010 school year was a history making year for our organization. We implemented our very first ABA Music Performance Assessment, and thanks to the hard work of our District Chairmen, and the team spirit exhibited by all the directors and schools involved, it was a huge success. There were some minor issues, but resolutions came quickly and efficiently. Our Summer In-Service presented a great opportunity for professional development. There were wonderful clinics and time for fun, sun, and fellowship. Dr. Ken Ozzello presented our inaugural MPA Adjudicator Certification Clinic (the hand-out for this clinic can be found on our web site). Completion of the MPA Adjudication Clinic is mandatory for those seeking certification.  Information and directions for certification will be posted on our web site. If you missed this clinic it will be presented again at AMEA 2011.

Vice-President John Cooper and the Music Selection Committee are continuing to update our cumulative list. We now have included almost all the selections contained in the Teaching Music through Performance series.

For your information, our ABA cumulative list can also be found on JW Pepper’s web site. This is another resource directors can use to peruse possible music selections for MPA. Go to ‘jwpepper.com’, click on ‘State/Festival Lists’, ‘Alabama’, and sort by classification.

There were three proposals presented at the summer board meeting. One was to make the Alabama Jazz Educators a functioning part of the ABA by-laws (since IAJE is no longer in existence). There was a proposal to give the music selection committee the responsibility of setting the time limits for MPA sight-reading, and a proposal to clarify the deadline for new music approval. These proposals will be published in our October “Ala Breve” and will be voted on at our AMEA business meeting.

Our 2011 AMEA Conference will be January 20-22, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Convention Center. Check out the AMEA web site for details and how to reserve your room. Our AMEA Board has gone to great lengths to ensure this conference offers outstanding professional development opportunities through many quality clinics, concerts, and exhibits.        

Don’t forget, the All-State Festival April 14-16, 2011, will be in Mobile. We will be using the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, The Mobile Convention Center, and The Mobile Civic Center. If you wish to go ahead and book your rooms the number to the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel is 1-800-922-3298, and our Group Code is “ALBALBA”.  Watch the ABA web site for the schedule and details.

I hope your school year gets off to an exceptional start, and as always, let me know if I can be of assistance.

Chuck Eady

President, Alabama Bandmasters Association