AOA: Moving Forward

May 9 2020

Moving Forward


Well, this certainly wasn’t the finish of the year we were expecting! I know many of you are missing your students, are disappointed that spring concerts will not be taking place, that graduates will not be recognized for their contributions to your program in ways that have occurred in the past, and are probably feeling some uncertainty around what all of this might mean for the future of your program. However, I am confident we will bounce back, that our programs will thrive as students look for more expressive outlets, and we once again highlight the impact that the arts have on our society.

I hope you have all been able to take advantage of the resources made available through the myamea.org website, and have participated in one of the live townhalls that began taking place in mid-April. I want to thank AMEA President Greg Gumina, AMEA President-elect David Raney, and the entire AMEA leadership for their efforts to continue supporting music teachers as we navigate these challenging times.

While the year did not finish the way we were all hoping, the Alabama Orchestra Association was fortunate enough to be able to hold its annual All-State Orchestra Festival at the University of Alabama’s Moody School of Music in early-February. Once again, the festival was a great success. The students were all thrilled with their conductors, as were their parents, and their teachers. One student even asked me if their clinician could come back year-after-year they enjoyed working with them so much! It is always amazing to see what these renowned conductors can accomplish in a short amount of time. Our Composition Contest winning work Reef by Samford Professor Dr. Mark Lackey was extremely well received by both the students and our audience, and his Meet the Composer session was one of the best I have seen – it could have lasted a few more hours and no one would have been anxious to leave!

We were certainly disappointed that our annual Music Performance Assessment event had to be canceled. However, we look forward to next year’s opportunity and hope that as many programs as possible join us for this relatively new, but important event.

Please be on the lookout for information regarding auditions for the 2021 All-State Orchestra Festival. We will be making some minor adjustments from this last round of auditions and should have more information available soon.

This is my last column as President of the Alabama Orchestra Association and as such, I want to take the time to acknowledge the tremendous support that I receive from the AOA Executive Board, our District Chairs, parent volunteers, and all of the teachers that continue to send students to our events, coach sectionals, lead rehearsals, run audition sites and jump in where needed. Our Executive Director, Julie Hornstein is hands down the single greatest gift any division president could ask for. Without her, we would not be able to continue to run any of the programs we offer. Her knowledge of the organization is second-to-none and I thank her for keeping me on track (amongst other things) when needed.

I am certainly looking forward to seeing the direction our organization takes under its new leadership. I have no doubts that incoming President Dr. Daniel Stevens and President-elect Joseph Lee will take the AOA to new and exciting heights. Please stay tuned for updates from them as we transition and prepare for 2020-2021.

Thank you all for allowing me to serve as AOA President these last two years. I have appreciated all of your support, guidance, suggestions, and encouragement during this time and I look forward to continuing to support our organization in the years to come. As always, if there is anything that the AOA can do to help you and your program please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Regards,
Guy Harrison
President,
Alabama Orchestra Association

AOA: Spring Renewal

Feb 17 2020

Spring Renewal

 What a fantastic AMEA Conference! From sessions to performances, there was certainly enough to keep everyone busy. The AOA once again made a point to sponsor sessions that aimed to reach a broad audience within the AMEA membership. Our headline clinician, Richard Meyer, was inspirational with his sessions on beginning strings, and tips for highly effective and efficient rehearsals. However, his session on giving BCAH to the community was probably the highlight of the conference for me as we learned about ways in which we can provide opportunities for our students to share their love of music with those less fortunate. We were also excited to have Dr. Jason Sulliman (Troy University) return with a session on the pedagogy of timing, and Dr. Anne Witt (University of Alabama) discussed the ins and outs of working with administrators. Daniel Kirk (Reinhardt University) joined us this year with tips on how to maximize your ensemble’s performance by playing more than just what’s on the page and James Rogers focused his attention on our pre-service teachers with tips and advice on finding and preparing for that first job interview.

A big shout out also has to the go to the Baldwin Middle School Chamber Orchestra (Montgomery) for their lobby performance. Directed by Laura Walters the ensemble played an eclectic program that was very well received by those that attended. The AOA would like to encourage more of our state string/orchestra programs to consider applying to perform in 2020!

By the time this edition of Ala Breve arrives in your mailbox or inbox the AOA will have concluded its annual All-State Orchestra Festival. We would like to once again thank the University of Alabama for hosting the festival! This year’s winner of the AOA Composition Contest was Samford University’s Dr. Mark Lackey with his piece Reef, which will have its North American premiere performed by the Festival Orchestra on February 9. In case you missed it in a previous issue, our clinicians this year are Dr. Thomas Heuser, Music Director of the Idaho Falls Symphony in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and the San Juan Symphony, based in Durango, Colorado, Mr. Creston Herron, Director of Orchestras at Klein ISD (Houston, TX), and Dr. Rebecca MacLeod (University of North Carolina – Greensboro), Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of the UNCG Sinfonia. We are excited to have such a talented line up of conductors to work with our students! I also need to take this opportunity to thank the members of the AOA Board for all their hard work in bringing our All-State festival to fruition. Without such a great team effort we would not be able to put forth this opportunity for the students in our state. I would also like to thank all of our District Chairs for their work in recruiting students and running the auditions for this year’s festival.

Last, but not least, the AOA will be hosting our 5th Music Performance Assessment event on April 3 at Gadsden City High School. I would like to thank Keith LaBenne and the Gadsden City High School administration for their willingness to host us this year. More information about the event can be found on our website – http://www.alabamaorchestraassociation.org.

I hope that your year is filled with great music making, student success, and professional satisfaction. Please reach out and let us know how the AOA can better serve you and your students. I look forward to seeing you at one of our remaining spring events.

Regards,

Guy Harrison, President Alabama Orchestra Association

Important Spring Dates:
Registration Deadline for MPA – Orchestra: March 6
MPA – Orchestra Event: Friday April 3 @ Gadsden City High School

AOA: Highlighting Orchestral Activity in Our State

Oct 2 2019

Thank you for taking the time to read this message from your Alabama Orchestra Association. I know how hectic the start to new school year can be, and I for one am already looking forward to some opportunities to rest and rejuvenate!

The start to the school year is always a busy time, and while those of us in the orchestral world might not be out there on the marching field, we are certainly marching towards our upcoming All-State Orchestra auditions. With a great lineup of conductors and some fantastic repertoire, students will have an experience like no other right here in their own state. We are excited to return to the University of Alabama for our 2020 All-State Orchestra Festival being held from February 6-9, 2020.

Auditions for our All-State Festival have changed this year with a new emphasis on scales and etudes, the combining of audition material for our two full orchestras, and additional audition dates in early- November for our wind, brass, and percussion students. The hope is that this will help alleviate any conflicts students might have with their marching band obligations. Wind, brass, and percussion students will need to register for an audition time by October 18, 2019. I would once again like to thank my colleagues in the Alabama Bandmasters Association for sharing their All-State Band materials with us. We hope that by combining our audition materials, more band students will audition for All-State Orchestra if for no other reason that they get a practice run for their All-State Band audition. And who knows, maybe they will make All-State Orchestra as well! Students that have a successful audition and are selected for the All-State Orchestra Festival will need to accept their spot by early December. Exact dates can be found on our website. Financial Aid forms will also be due at that time.

An exciting part of the All-State Orchestra Festival is the premiere performance of the winning composition from our annual Composition Contest. I am pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s competition is Alabama’s very own Dr. Mark Lackey. Mark currently serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Samford University. We look forward to having him in residency at the festival and know that our students will enjoy preparing and performing his work, Reef.

The AMEA conference in January 2020 is the perfect pick-me-up as we transition into our spring semester. Richard Meyer, will be our headline clinician this year, and will be supported by a wonderful line up of clinicians who will present a wide variety of sessions that we hope will appeal to both our membership and the general membership at large. If you have not yet done so, this would be a great time to renew your membership and register for the conference.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge all the wonderful work being done by the Alabama Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. They are doing our state a great service with their support of, and advocacy for, string and orchestra programs. Their annual Honor Strings Festival will take place at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center in Gadsden, AL from November 15-17. For more information about the festival and the other work being done by the Alabama chapter of ASTA, please visit their website at: http://astabama.org

Finally, your AOA wants to hear from you. We would love to feature you, your program, your upcoming events, and anything else you feel should be shared on our social media platforms. We want to continue to highlight all the orchestral activity occurring in our state. Please help us make this happen.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you, and hope to see you at an upcoming event.

Regards,

Guy Harrison

And So, it Begins

Jul 30 2019


Dear Educators,

Welcome back to what I hope will be another great year! I know all of you have been working hard throughout the summer preparing for the new school year. Please know the work you do for our students does not go unnoticed! As such, the Alabama Orchestra Association is looking forward to serving you and your students throughout the 2019-2020 school year.

As we begin this school year, I would love to hear from those of you currently teaching in a school-based or community-based string and/or orchestra program here in Alabama. We want to feature you and your programs via our social media pages and other available outlets. Please let me know what you’re up to and any events you may want to promote and we will share that with our membership.

The fall is an especially busy time for the AOA. The beginning of August will see excerpts posted for the upcoming Orchestra All-State Festival auditions. We have made several updates to our audition procedures for next year’s festival. We will be combining the audition material for the Festival and Sinfonia orchestras and including scales and etudes for the first time. We will also be adding a second audition day in early-November specifically for Wind, Brass, and Percussion students ONLY to help alleviate the issues of preparing and auditioning during marching season. More information about these changes as well as district audition dates, times and locations can be found on our website – www.alabamaorchestraassociation.org. As in previous years, students can take advantage of being able to audition in any district so as to allow for scheduling conflicts. If you are a band director, we sincerely hope that you will encourage your students to audition for our All-State Festival. As you know, the experience of performing with strings as well as the challenge of playing one to a part is something a lot of our band students never get the chance to do.

I am excited to announce that we have a wonderful line up of conductors for our 2019 Orchestra All- State Festival which will be held from Feb 6-9, 2020 at the University of Alabama. Our Festival Orchestra will be under the leadership of Mr. Thomas Heuser (Idaho Falls Symphony and San Juan (CO) Symphony), with Mr. Creston Herron from Klein HS (TX) conducting our Sinfonia Orchestra, and Dr. Rebecca MacLeod (UNC-Greensboro) conducting our Consort String ensemble. More information about our conductors and festival repertoire can be found on our website.

The Alabama Orchestra Association always strives to find quality clinicians for the AMEA Professional Development Conference. We look for clinicians who will inform, educate, and inspire not only our state’s string teachers but music educators across all the divisions. The 2020 AMEA Conference (Jan. 17- 19) will be no exception with a lineup of distinguished clinicians headlined by Richard Meyer. Mr. Meyer is a highly sought-after music educator as well as being a nationally-recognized, best-selling composer with over 190 compositions and arrangements in print. For 16 years, Mr. Meyer served as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company and is the co-author of several string method books, including the popular String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician and we are delighted that he will be joining us!

We will also continue to encourage string vendors to attend the 2020 AMEA conference. As we are able to lock in those vendors, we will let you know who they are via our Facebook page so you can contact them with any specific needs you might have while you are attending the conference.

During the 2019-2020 school year, we will continue to build upon the success of our annual Orchestra Music Performance Assessment event. We expect to have details regarding locations and dates (in Spring 2020) finalized soon. As always, check our Facebook page and/or the AOA website for updates. We encourage all string teachers including those that teach guitar and non-traditional string ensembles from both school-based and community-based programs to plan on participating.

Lastly, the AOA is here to serve you. If we can be of any assistance to you or your program please reach out to us. We hope you have a successful and rewarding school year and look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.

Important Dates for 2019-2020

  • All-State Audition Materials Released – August 2, 2019
  • All-StateAuditionApplication Deadline -September27,2019
  • String Auditions (as well as early wind, brass, & percussion) – Early-October (check website)
  • Wind, Brass, & Percussion ONLY Auditions – Early-November (check website)
  • String Audition Results Posted – November 18, 2019
  • Wind, Brass, & Percussion Results Posted – November 25, 2019
  • All-State Scholarship Application Deadline – December 6, 2020
  • AMEA Conference – January 16-18, 2020
  • All-State Orchestra Festival – February 6-9, 2020
  • Orchestra Music Performance Assessment – Spring 2020 (check website)

AOA: What a Great Year It Has Been!

May 8 2019

Only a few short weeks remain before school lets out for the summer break. A chance for us all to hopefully relax and unwind… and start preparing for another jam-packed school year! As you begin to reflect on your successes and those moments that didn’t quite go as planned, consider sharing your knowledge with our membership by submitting a session proposal for the 2020 AMEA Conference. We know that our teachers have different perspectives and unique areas of interest and we would love to see your insights shared with our membership! While you’re at it, also consider applying to have your ensemble represent the AOA as one of our lobby performance groups and help us increase the orchestra presence in our state.

As of the writing of this article, the AOA has concluded its activities for the year with another wonderful All-State Orchestra Festival and our 4th stand-alone Music Performance Assessment event. Our 2019 All-State Orchestra Festival was held at the University of Alabama from February 7-10. We had almost 250 students across 3 ensembles successfully audition for the opportunity to work with our fabulous clinicians – Dr. Raphael Jimenez (Oberlin College), Mr. Bryan Buffaloe (Clear Lake HS, TX), and Dr. Gail Barnes (USC). Each year, the AOA holds a composition contest that is open to both domestic and international composers. The winner’s work is then premiered by our Festival Orchestra. This year we premiered Discord by Nabil Abad. Mr. Abad is an up-and-coming composer who is currently studying at Baldwin Wallace University. His work was chosen from more than 30 entries from all over the world. It is always interesting to hear student’s perspectives on these works as it is, for some of them, their first exposure to modern orchestral music. Some don’t like it at the first read-through and their opinion does not change even as they become more familiar with the work. Others absolutely love it from the get-go, and some grow to like it as they spend more time with it. It always helps to hear from the composer both during rehearsals and at our dedicated Meet the Composer session. I would like to thank the AOA Board, our Executive Director – Julie Hornstein, our District Chairs, section coaches, UA staff, and parent volunteers for all the hard work they put into making the festival a resounding success. I would encourage you all to stay tuned to both our Facebook page and our website for some potential updates regarding next year’s audition procedures and the festival itself. The AOA will release All-State audition material by August 2, 2019. However, please keep checking our Facebook page for any updates or changes to this date.

The AOA’s 4th stand-alone MPA event took place at Gadsden City High School on April 5, 2019. One of the judges for the event commented that he had judged at our first ever event and was pleased to see the progress being made in our state over the last 4 years. The following ensembles were awarded a Superior rating with straight 1s on-stage and a 1 in sight-reading:

  • Gadsden Middle School Symphony Strings
  • Decatur Youth Symphony Chamber Strings
  • Gadsden City High School Titan Symphony Orchestra
  • Baldwin Magnet School Advanced Orchestra
  • Alabama School of Fine Arts String Orchestra
  • Dunbar Magnet School Guitar Ensemble

We will be posting the complete results to on our webpage soon. Dates and locations for next year’s event will be posted by the end of July. Please consider bringing your ensemble to this event in 2020.

I hope these last few weeks bring you great success as you wrap up spring concerts and finish out the year. As always, if there is anything that the AOA can do to help you and your program please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Regards,

Guy Harrison, President

Alabama Orchestra Association

AOA: Strike up the… Orchestra!

Feb 24 2019

What a wonderful AMEA Conference! As physically exhausting as these conferences can be, I for one, am feeling professionally refreshed and primed for the year ahead. The AOA made a point to sponsor sessions that not only spoke to our membership directly but also touched on topics that are relevant to all music educators, both seasoned and novice alike. Our headline clinician, Bob Phillips (Alfred Music), was inspirational with his sessions on beginning strings, the art and science of motivation, and his session on transforming the tone of your ensemble. We were also fortunate to have Dr. Jason Sulliman (Troy University) inform us about the importance of wellness and injury prevention and Dr. Anne Witt (University of Alabama) discuss classroom management strategies. Joe Brennan (Haverford High School, PA) joined us again this year with tips on how to improve ensemble skills and Dr. Thomas Brough focused his attention on our pre-service teachers with tips and advice on things young educators need to know. Finally, our colleagues at the University of North Alabama – Dr. Tracy Wiggins, Dr. Meghan Merciers, Sam Merciers, and Dr. Whitney O’Neal joined us for an early session on Saturday morning on teaching improvisation in the ensemble setting. It was a great way to end the conference!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Greg Gumina for providing the opportunity for the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra to perform at the Keynote address. Greg’s support of the AOA is very much appreciated. Having the ASYO perform highlighted the wonderful opportunities that could exist for ALL of our students with the establishment, growth and strengthening of string programs around our state. I encourage everyone to seek out those students that are not participating in your school music programs because they don’t have an ensemble to join and consider advocating for those students with your local school boards. The AOA is here to assist in any way we can to help give those students the same opportunities as their peers in band, choir and other school-based arts programs.

A big shout out also has to the go to the Alabama School of Fine Arts String Ensemble for their lobby performance. Directed by Kim Strickland the ensemble played an eclectic program that was very well received by those that attended. The AOA would like to encourage more of our state string/orchestra programs to consider applying to perform in 2020!

By the time this edition of Ala Breve arrives in your mailbox or inbox the AOA will have concluded its annual All-State Orchestra Festival. We would like to thank the University of Alabama for once again hosting the festival! As in previous years the AOA held a Composition Contest with the winning piece receiving its premier performance by the Festival Orchestra. This year we will feature Discord by Nabil Abad. Mr. Abad’s work was chosen from more than 30 entries from all over the world. In case you missed it in a previous issue, our clinicians this year are Dr. Raphael Jimenez, Director of Orchestras at Oberlin College, Mr. Bryan Buffaloe, Director of Orchestras at Clear Lake High School (Houston, TX), and Dr. Gail Barnes (University of South Carolina), Professor of Music Education and Director of the USC String Project. We are excited to have such a talented line up of conductors to work with our students! I also need to take this opportunity to thank the members of the AOA Board for all their hard work in bringing our All-State festival to fruition. Without such a great team effort we would not be able to put forth this opportunity for the students in our state. I would also like to thank all of our District Chairs for their work in recruiting students and running the auditions for this year’s festival.

Last, but not least, the AOA will be hosting our 4th Music Performance Assessment event on April 5 at Gadsden City High School. I would like to thank Keith LaBenne and the Gadsden City High School administration for their willingness to host us this year. More information about the event can be found on our website – www.alabamaorchestraassociation.org.

I hope that your year is filled with great music making, student success, and professional satisfaction. Please reach out and let us know how the AOA can better serve you and your students. I look forward to seeing you at one of our remaining spring events.

Regards,

Guy Harrison
President
Alabama Orchestra Association

Important Spring Dates
Registration Deadline for MPA – Orchestra: March 1

MPA – Orchestra Event: Friday April 5
Gadsden City High School

AOA: From the President!

Oct 14 2018

Thank you for taking the time to read this message from your Alabama Orchestra Association. If the start to your fall has been anything like mine you are already in need of some time to rest and rejuvenate from the hectic start of the new school year.

While the start to the school year is always a busy time, it doesn’t slow down for those of us involved in the orchestral world here in Alabama. For us, October is audition month with students from all over the state preparing and auditioning for a spot at the 2019 Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival being held February 7-10, 2019 at the University of Alabama. With a great lineup of conductors and some fantastic repertoire, students will have an experience like no other right here in their own state.

Auditions for our All-State Festival will take place during the first two weekends in October, with results posted to our website by November 18. Students that have a successful audition and are selected for All-State will need to accept their spot by December 1. Financial Aid forms are also due at that time.

The AMEA conference in January 2019 is the perfect pick-me-up as we transition into our spring semester. Your AOA has been fortunate to select several great clinicians, headlined by Bob Phillips, who will offer something for everyone – both for our division as well as the general membership as a whole. More information about these sessions can be found elsewhere in this edition of Ala Breve. If you have not yet done so, this would be a great time to renew your membership and register for the conference.

I would also like to bring to your attention the work Chip Gulbro and the new ASTA-Alabama board is doing to advance string playing in Alabama. They will be holding their annual Honor Strings Festival at the University of Alabama from October 26-28, 2018. For more information about the festival and the other work being done by the Alabama chapter of ASTA, please visit their new-look website at: http://astabama.org

Finally, your AOA wants to hear from you. We would love to feature you, your program, your upcoming events, and anything else you feel should be shared on our social media platforms. We need to better highlight all the orchestral activity occurring in our state and we can assist to make that happen. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you all soon. Regards,

Guy Harrison

AOA: From the President!

Aug 1 2018

Dear Educators,

Welcome back to what I hope will be an exciting and successful year! The Alabama Orchestra Association is looking forward to serving the needs of our division’s teachers and students throughout the 2018-2019 school year. I would like to start by thanking Dr. Samuel Nordlund for his leadership and vision during his recent tenure as President of AOA. Since my arrival in Alabama only five short years ago I have observed first-hand the continued rise in talent, performance level and growth of traditional programs such as the Orchestra All-State Festival and the implementation of new ventures such as a dedicated Orchestra Music Performance Assessment event. It is because of the leadership of dedicated professionals such as Sam that the Alabama Orchestra Association is able to provide quality opportunities not only for string players in Alabama but for any instrumentalist that wants to experience the excitement and musical satisfaction that comes from performing in a symphonic setting.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you the members of the AOA’s new executive board – President-elect Dr. Daniel Stevens (UNA), Secretary Rachel Christmas (George W. Carver HS), and Treasurer Jacob Frank (Decatur Youth Symphony). Along with myself (Auburn University) and past-President Dr. Samuel Nordlund (Samford), the new AOA board consists of a diverse group of educators and music professionals covering orchestral and string education from elementary through higher education and from school-based to community-based programs. Our mission continues to be to support and strengthen existing string and orchestra programs within the state as well as working to help establish new programs throughout Alabama to help meet the needs of underserved students.

Research shows us that Alabama, as well as some of our bordering states, continues to lag behind other regions of the country with regards to school-based string and/or orchestra programs. Currently, many of the students who participate in our programs must seek out and join one of the various community ensembles in order to participate in their desired musical ensemble as they are not able to participate in a school-based string/orchestra program at their local school. Many of these community-based ensembles meet once or twice a week during evenings or on weekends which can have a considerable impact on student’s schedules. As such, it is always with great excitement that we celebrate the news of a newly established school-based string or orchestra program, recognizing those school systems that are committed to providing their students with a comprehensive, well-rounded music program.

On a different note, as we begin a new school year I would love to hear from those of you currently teaching in a school-based or community-based string and/or orchestra program here in Alabama. We would like to publish a series of feature articles throughout the year on current teachers and programs via our social media pages and other available outlets. Stay tuned for more information!

The fall is an especially busy time for the AOA. The beginning of August will see excerpts posted for the upcoming Orchestra All-State Festival auditions. More information about audition dates, times and locations can be found on our website – www.alabamaorchestraassociation.org. As in previous years, students can take advantage of being able to audition in any district to help avoid scheduling conflicts brought about by football games or marching competitions. If you are a band director, we sincerely hope that you will encourage your students to audition for our All-State Festival. For wind, brass, and percussion students, the experience of performing with strings as well as the challenge of playing one to a part is second to none.

I am excited to announce that we have a stellar line up of conductors for our 2019 Orchestra All-State Festival which will be held from Feb 7-10, 2019 at the University of Alabama. Our Festival Orchestra will be under the leadership of Dr. Raphael Jimenez (Oberlin College), with Mr. Bryan Buffaloe from Clear Lake HS (TX) conducting our Sinfonia Orchestra, and Dr. Gail Barnes (USC) conducting our Consort String ensemble. Music being performed includes Manuel de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat Suite No. 2, Prelude & Mazurka from Coppelia by Delibes, Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave, Op. 31, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Bizet, and of course the winning entry from the AOA’s Annual Composition Contest.

The Alabama Orchestra Association always strives to find quality clinicians for the AMEA Professional Development Conference. We look for clinicians who will inform, educate, and inspire not only our state’s string teachers but music educators across all the divisions. The 2019 AMEA Conference (Jan. 17-19) will be no exception with a lineup of distinguished clinicians headlined by Bob Phillips who will present three sessions including a general session titled The Art & Science of Motivation. Bob, who currently serves as the Director of String Publications for Alfred Publishing, is renowned as an innovator in string education and brings a wealth of knowledge to his clinics drawn from his 27 years as a public-school educator.

We also expect to have several string vendors at the 2019 AMEA conference. As we finalize our vendors we will let you know who they are via our Facebook page so you can contact them with any specific needs you might have while you are attending the conference. Hopefully we won’t have any of the weather issues that forced several of our string-specific vendors to abandon their travel plans last year.

The 2018-2019 school year will also feature the 4th annual Orchestra Music Performance Assessment event to be held at Gadsden High School in the Spring of 2019. We are working on dates in April and should have those finalized and available to teachers soon. Please check our Facebook page and/or the AOA website for updates. We encourage all string teachers including those that teach guitar and non-traditional string ensembles from both school-based and community-based programs to plan on participating.

Lastly, the AOA is here to serve you. If we can be of any assistance to you or your program please reach out to us. We hope you have a successful and rewarding school year and look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.

Guy Harrison, AOA President

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