TEMPO October 2016 | Page 10

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Division Chairs Band Performance Al Bazzel 856-358-2054 fenwayfollwer5@comcast.net We hope you had an enjoyable summer and are having a successful start of the school year. During the summer months the Band Procedures Committee met to plan for the upcoming school year. The 2017 All-State Wind Ensemble will be conducted by Keith Brion, Director of the New Sousa Band. Richard Blatti, Emeritus Director and Professor Emeritus of The Ohio State University School of Music, will conduct the Symphonic Band. The application procedure for All-State Band will be online with a printable signature page to be submitted with the audition fees by the sponsoring director. Eligible students will be receiving an email from their respective Region band officials. New Jersey will be hosting the NAfME Eastern Division Conference in April 2017, replacing the annual NJMEA Conference. The 2017 All-State Bands will still be rehearsing and performing during their annual weekend (February 23-25, 2017). Please consult the website for more detailed schedule and all audition requirements. Any solo suggestions need to be submitted to Bruce Yurko, solo chair, or any region representative. The recommendation must include a copy of the suggested solo, the solo it is to replace, and rationale for the change. The region representatives are: Region I – Darrell Hendricks, Lewis Kelly, Gregory Mulford; Region II - Brian Toth, Chris Vitale, John Zazzali; Region III – Nichole Delnero, Thomas Rafter, Phil Senseney. If you have any additional questions or concerns please contact myself or Matthew Spatz, Band Procedures Chair. Choral Performance Kathleen Spadafino 732-214-1044 kspadEB@aol.com Welcome back to a new year! Please make this article the one you read if you are a choral director. Many questions are answered and confusion avoided when you know procedures ahead of time! Our 2016 -2017 All-State Choruses are already busily preparing their concerts! Our Mixed Chorus conductor Rollo Dilworth has rehearsed already with the chorus, and the students know they are in for a treat in Atlantic City and NJPAC in November. Our Treble Chorus has also begun rehearsing, but will not meet their conductor Eleanor Daley until their concert weekend in February. Note: although there is not an NJMEA conference in 2017, the All-State Treble Chorus and the All-State Banks will perform at NJPAC on Saturday, February 25, 2017. While your students are getting a fabulous choral experience from your program, everyone will benefit when you participate in your County, Region and All-State Choral groups. Your students will share a quality musical experience with other singers who are as serious as they are, and you will enjoy time with others who are choir geeks like you! Here is some basic information for the 2016-2017 school year. Your best resource is our website, www.njmea.org. Please check it regularly, as well as TEMPO Express emails, for updates for all activities. Mark your calendars for deadlines. They are 5-8 weeks BEFORE the actual auditions. continued on page 10 TEMPO 8 OCTOBER 2016