2020 GMEA Newsletter | February by Georgia Music Educators Association

GEORGIA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION

N e ws l e t t e r

F E B R UA RY

2020

"Education is the most powerful weapon which yo u c a n u s e t o c h a n g e t h e w o rl d . "

Nelson Mandela

Inspiring Truth for Teachers

IN THIS ISSUE

FEBRUARY

AROUND THE STATE

DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 6 DISTRICT 9 DISTRICT 11 DISTRICT 13 MUSIC TECHNOLOGY YEAR OF RETIREMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE PICS

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

AROUND THE STATE Events and News from GMEA's 14 Districts 2

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

DISTRICT ONE

High School Orchestra, taught by Charles Patterson, Director and GSU Masters Student, Benjamin Cork (Georgia Southern University Violin Performance Major, ASTA Collegiate Chapter President and 1st violinist of the Magnolia String Quartet) along with other student members of the ASTA Collegiate Chapter.

• On February 1, 2020, over 60 middle school students from Coastal Georgia participated in the inaugural STRING-in! Day at Georgia Southern University. STRING-in! Is promoted and organized by the American String Teachers Association Georgia Chapter (GA-ASTA), its regional sub-chapter and the Collegiate Student Chapter. The day-long event included a tour of GSU’s Statesboro campus, music instructional workshops taught by Dr. Larisa Elisha (GSU’s Coordinator of Upper Strings Studies and Director of the award-winning Magnolia String Quartet), ensemble rehearsals and a final concert conducted by Dr. Steven Elisha who heads the University String Program, is Director of Orchestras and a Professor of Music at Georgia Southern. The 2020 participants included students who are home schooled or enrolled at Glynn Academy, Risley Middle School, St. Francis Xavier School, Frederica Academy, Richmond Hill Middle School, Glynn Middle School, Brunswick High School, Habersham School and Needwood Middle School.

A group of 11th-grade GIYO musicians also helped with the event’s planning and assisted with the campus tour and music rehearsals. The GIYO students were able to fulfill a requirement toward their Fine Arts diploma seal, which is newly offered by Glynn County Schools. Numerous requirements must be completed before a student can earn the seal, which include participation in the local youth orchestra, class credits as well as community involvement. STRING-in! Day at Georgia Southern is intended to continue as an annual event, to bolster string music education in Georgia’s Coastal region, involve different groups of student string players from the region and bring many partners together, for the benefit of young musicians in local middle schools.

Partners who participated in STRING-in! include the Golden Isles Youth Orchestra with Stephenie Powell, Director of GIYO Ensembles and Stringin! Coordinator, Richmond Hill Middle School Orchestra, accompanied by William Page, Director and GSU Graduate, and Richmond Hill

DISTRICT THREE • The Joyce and Henry Schwob School of Music will be hosting a dynamic partnership with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Robert Spano from March 31-April 2, 2020 at our beautiful facility in Columbus, Ga on the Riverpark campus of Columbus State University. This collaboration will feature the following activities, which our colleagues in the GMEA would be most welcome to attend: (see schedule on next page) 3

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

AROUND THE STATE

DISTRICT SIX

DISTRICT THREE

• Jacob Evarts, junior at Locust Grove High School, was chosen as the 1st runner-up in the national Lowell Mason Composition Competition. He received a certificate and $1000 for his composition, “Heroica.” Evarts has been composing for the GMEA Composition Competition since 8th grade and has had a work premiered every year at In-Service Conference as well as at Locust Grove HS fall and spring concerts.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 31ST 4:00pm-6:00pm Maestro Spano will lead an open rehearsal of György Ligeti’s virtuosic Chamber Concerto with the Schwob Contemporary Ensemble in Legacy Hall.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1ST 9:00am-12:30pm The principal musicians of the ASO will host masterclasses in hour long segments for individual instruments, like-ensembles, and mixed ensembles. Rooms are throughout the building and all instruments will be represented.

• Luella High School junior, Daniel Ruiz, was selected to be a member of the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in New York City from January 29th to February 4th. Daniel sang in a choir with students from all over the world. Students were chosen after sending in video auditions of art songs and other information. The music faculty of District VI is very proud of Daniel and his initiative in trying out, and then being chosen for this wonderful opportunity. We are certain that he represented not only Henry County Schools and the Luella Lions very well, but also did a fine job in making his family proud.

11:00am-11:50am Composition Masterclass with Maestro Spano in the Schwob Conference Room 1:00pm-3:30pm Maestro Spano will lead an open rehearsal of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony with the Schwob Philharmonic. Principals will sit with the players. 4:00pm-5:00pm Maestro Spano will lead an open conducting workshop with the Schwob School’s graduate conductors, who will conduct the Schwob Philharmonic. 7:30pm ASO musicians will partner with Schwob faculty and students in a chamber performance of works including Milhaud’s Creation of the World, Dvorak’s Serenade for Winds, and works by Mozart, and Mendelssohn.

• Mindy Forehand has been invited to conduct the Ola HS choir at Carnegie Hall in June, 2021.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2ND

• On Thursday, January 23, 2020, the Union Grove Middle School Orchestra was invited to perform for the President’s Luncheon at the Georgia Music Educators Associations In-Service Conference in Athens, GA. Under the direction of Sam Lowder, 24 of Union Grove’s finest seventh and eight grade string players performed for this invitation-only event, attended by state music education leaders, honored guests, and award winners.

9:00am-12:00pm The administration of the ASO, led by Executive Director Jennifer Barlament will host an arts administration workshop. In addition, ASO musicians who have created outside projects will be there to discuss their process for formation and execution of outside ensembles and educational activities. In Legacy Hall and Studio Theater. 1:30pm-3:30pm The ASO musicians will host open mock auditions for all instruments. Rooms through the Schwob facility will be used. If you wish to attend any of the above non-ticketed events, please contact Stephen Clayton at clayton_stephen@columbusstate.edu.

• Tara Winds Recent Notable Performances: - Tara Winds performed at the 2020 Georgia Music Educators Association's In-Service Conference as the GMEA Reading Band - Tara Winds performed as the Guest Honor Band at the Young Harris College High School Honor Band Clinic - Tara Winds performed as the Guest Honor Band at the District XII Honor Band Clinic in February

TICKETED EVENT FOR PURCHASE 7:30pm The ASO will present a concert in Bill Heard Theatre, RiverCenter for the Arts. The program will include Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with David Coucheron as the soloist. Tickets can be purchased by calling the RiverCenter for the Arts Box office at (706) 256-3612 Mon – Fri, 10AM-5:30PM. The ASO/Schwob Partnership is funded through the generous support of Joyce and Henry Schwob. Maestro Spano's master classes are made possible by a generous gift from the family of Dr. Leon and Beverlye Lapides. Musician master classes are made possible with the support of The Lucy Quillian Page Master Class Endowment.

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

Tara Winds has commissioned Mark Camphouse to be a composer in residence and premiere a brand new work for wind band on their May 3rd Scholarship Concert at Lassiter Concert Hall

• Pickneyville MS Symphonic Winds (Roland Ventura and Jared Kauffman, directors) will perform at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival on the campus of Georgia State University.

DISTRICT Nine

• Roland Ventura (Pickneyville MS) received the Brent Cannon Music Education Alumni Achievement Award sponsored by the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association Board of Directors in recognition for his achievements in the field of music education at the secondary level.

• The University of North Georgia Le Belle Voci, under the direction of Dr. John Broman, has been invited to perform on Monday, June 15, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. in Spivey Hall on the Clayton State University campus as part of this summer’s GA ACDA conference. Le Belle Voci is honored to have been asked to be part of the festivities.

• Britt Elementary School, with Nicole Guimaraes as their music specialist, was named a 2019 Georgia Music Foundation grant recipient. With this grant, they will bring in singer, Laura Kaye and movement specialist, Nathan Blake to present “Electrify Your Choir”. This 2-day workshop will culminate in a rock-n-roll choir concert featuring grades 3-5 as well as students from Snellville Middle School. The concert will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 7pm at the Snellville First Baptist Church. Awesome news from the South Gwinnett Cluster!!!

DISTRICT eleven • The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia's highest achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. Each high school STAR Student is asked to name his/her STAR Teacher. First Presbyterian Day School Senior and Trombonist Austin Murray was named STAR Student for the 2019-2020 school year. Austin was selected 1st Chair in the All State Jazz Band and is the principal trombonist of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Austin selected District XI First Presbyterian Day School Band Director Jonathan Baker as his STAR Teacher.

• Collins Hill Percussion Ensemble, Jeremy Lumpkin & Bryan Daniels, directors, performed at the 2020 GMEA In-Service Conference. • David DuBose, Fine Arts Coordinator for Gwinnett County Public Schools, was awarded the Administrator of the Year during the 2020 GMEA In-Service Conference. Both David DuBose and Donna Cravens are invaluable resources for all the Fine Arts teachers within GCPS. • 190 students braved the snow and participated in the HS District Honor Band Feb 7-9, 2020 with clinicians Dr. Josh Byrd of the University of West Georgia and Col. Don Schofield of the United States Air Force Band, Washington DC. The event took place on the campus of Mill Creek HS.

D11: STAR STUDENT AUSTIN MURRAY WITH STAR TEACHER JONATHAN BAKER

• Nearly 230 students are expected to participate in the MS District Honor Band later this month at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa, GA with composers Tyler Grant and Will Pitts as clinicians.

DISTRICT thirteen Great things are happening in District 13. From our talented students to our dedicated teachers and the community supporters – we are happy to share the following accolades and accomplishments: 5

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

AROUND THE STATE

DISTRICT THIRTEEN

• The Peachtree Ridge Cluster held their inaugural cluster concert this on November 18th. Organized by Peachtree Ridge High School chorus director, Kathryn Wyatt, besides the PRHS Women’s Ensemble, Men’s Choir, and Chorale, other ensembles included were from Northbrook Middle School, James Hemphill, director and Hull Middle School, Lisa Kennedy, director. Participating elementary schools were Jackson Elementary (Annette Gaugler, music specialist), Mason Elementary (Amy Cook, music specialist), and Parsons (Meghan Kennedy, music specialist). All of the singers combined for a final performance of Tshotsholoza, arranger Jeffery Ames.

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The following school programs will participate in the Statewide Honor Chorus • Lawrenceville ES (Amie Schaff), Suwanee ES (Marti Parker), Level Creek ES (In Sun Ko), Roberts ES (Angela Kirtland), Shiloh ES (Autumn Ginn), Mulberry ES (Tamara Stokes), The Wesleyan School (Meg Foster), Hebron Christian Academy (Ruth Mullins), & Greater Atlanta Christian (Robin Hensley) • On November 11, 2019, the Central Gwinnett Cluster hosted their first combined concert featuring Central Gwinnett HS (Andrew Graham), Moore MS (Michelle Spencer), Jordan MS (Portia Burns), Lawrenceville ES (Amie Schaff), Jenkins ES (Andrea Emmel), Simonton ES (Kate George), and Winn Holt ES (Drew Simpson).

• Director Sadie Glasgow took her top performing ensemble, the Mountain View Mastery Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, to play at the High Museum on Sunday, Feb 9th.

D13: MOUNTAIN VIEW MASTERY ORCHESTRA CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

MuSIC TECHNOLoGY NEWS WITH HEATH JONES

The first annual Music Technology Student Showcase was presented at the GMEA In-service Convention in January. 70 compositions were submitted from around the state and 14 were selected to be featured at the GMEA conference. The compositions were evaluated by a panel of educators and industry professionals. Every student who submitted a composition received feedback from the evaluation panelists. The recital was held at new, state of the art Tweed Recording Studio and Academy in downtown Athens. The recital was well attended and a special event for the students and all in attendance. Isaax Baquerizo & Sebastian Soler (2 selected submissions) from Brookwood High School, Dr. Chris Costigan (District 13) Parv Mahajan, Laura Call-Gomez, & Jack Maguire from Coleman Middle School, Ryan Bertram (District 13) Kendall Finley from Lanier High School, Patrick Collins (District 13) Julie Morris, Gideon Reese, Moses Kang & Jun Jang from Peachtree Ridge HS, Dr. Andy Edwards (District 13) Evan Moitoso from Frederica Academy, Dr. Tess Neilson (District 8) Emilio Collado from Grovetown High School, Mary Angel Cleary (District 10) Special congratulations to Julie Morris from Peachtree Ridge High School, and Isaac Baquerizo from Brookwood High School whose compositions were selected as Best In Show.

NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER||DECEMBER FEBRUARY

YEAR OF RETIREMENT

Bonita Thomie

Bonita Thomie, presently GMEA Music in Our Schools Month Chair is retiring this

school year. She graduated from Southwest High School in Macon, GA. She then attended Macon Jr. College and, after that, Georgia College in Milledgeville, GA. Ms. Thomie did her graduate work at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. She taught Music in the Bibb County School System for twelve years as a system-wide elementary music teacher. Bonita was a faculty member in the Houston County School System for thirty years serving at Thomas Elementary, Lindsey Elementary, Westside Elementary and, at present, Parkwood Elementary. Bonita is the past director for the Houston County Honor Choir that performed at GMEA in Savannah, GA, served seven years as the District Eleven Elementary Chair, and served a term as the GMEA Elementary Chair. At Parkwood Elementary, Ms. Thomie taught General Music in addition to creating elementary chorus, string, and percussion groups. Bonita plans to continue directing music at her church, New Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, in Macon, Georgia where she is the Minister of Music.

NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY

RESEARCH SURVEYS

Are you a GMEA member gathering information for a music education study? Submit a request to have your survey posted here. Please note, while the GMEA website may host various surveys, the researchers and results of surveys do not reflect the intent of our organization.

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MARCHING SEASON

IS COMING

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DO YOU TEACH

Guitar? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU CLICK HERE

EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARD APPLICATIONS DUE ON APRIL 28 TH

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SHARED CONFERENCE PICTURES s H A R E D B Y S O M E P E R F O R M I N G G

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GROUPS

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APPLY in March session application

performing group application available in mid-march 18

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#WoO (without Opus)

LO O K I N G F O R WA R D TO S OM E T H I N G N E W

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SPRING BREAK AIN'T FAR

IT'S LIKE A WISH UPON A STAR