Volume 3 Issue 6 Winter 2015

Notices

Did You Know?...

ABA Membership allows:
• You to register for Festival of Bands
• You to recommend your junior high students for the Junior High Honour Bands across the province
• Your high school student to audition for Alberta Honour Band
• You to nominate your colleagues for ABA awards
• You to access the ABA Lending Library

Collecting Pictures Across Alberta

The Alberta Band Association’s official newsletter is continuing its online format. We are looking forward to continuing the programming that helps Alberta Music Teachers in their profession.

This year our Board of Directors is seeking the support of the bands across Alberta who are taking pictures of your Bands throughout the season. We are asking for FOIP’d photos of your bands on trips, in concerts, or just enjoying rehearsals. These photos will be collected for an upcoming project that will support all Alberta Bands in the future; however, we will need your pictures.

Please post your FOIP’d photos on Facebook, email them, or Tweet them to @AlbertaBandFeed.

If you would like to submit a short story, share your music trip pictures, or suggest that we highlight a musical event that takes place in your area, please feel free to drop us a line.

Awards

The Keith Mann Award is presented annually to an outstanding new band director with fewer than 6 years’ teaching experience in the province of Alberta. Created to honour the memory of Keith Mann, the recipient will demonstrate Keith’s enthusiasm and dedication to band music.

The Vondis Miller Legacy Award, which was created in memory of Vondis Miller, is a long-service award recognizing an individual who has devoted many years to sharing the joys of music making with young people.

The Elkhorn Award recipient is chosen by former Elkhorn winners.

Nominations are accepted annually and should be accompanied by supporting documentation.

All three Awards are presented at the MCA Awards Banquet.
ABA members may download the Award Nomination Form.

ZONE REPS
Zone Representatives are responsible for gathering information from people in their area and forwarding it on to Musicom.

If you are interested in being a Zone Rep please contact the ABA.

If there is an ABA member that you know of that deserves recognition, email us and we will feature that person in an upcoming Musicom.

If you have events happening in your area, let us know and we will make mention of the music activities that you have happening.

In this issue:

• MCA 2014:
  Recap with Award Recipients
  ABA 5-Question Survey
  Alberta Honour Band at Conference
• Junior Honour Band Reminders
• ABA Provincial Festival of Bands
• Community Bands
• Collecting Band Pictures across Alberta
• ABA Board Members 2014-2015

Musicom in Detail:

Music Conference Alberta in review: October 23 – 25, 2014 Edmonton, AB For all delegates that were able to participate at MCA 2014 in Edmonton, the ABA would like to thank you for your support and contribution to a great event. We hope that you were able to attend a session that inspired new ideas, developed your teaching practices, and excited you to continue offering great musical skills to your stud ents! Congratulations again to our ABA award winners at MCA 2014: Judy Wishloff Recipient of the Elkhorn Band Director of the Year Award Val Shermann Recipient of the Vondis Miller Legacy Award Jeff Bryant Recipient of the Keith Mann Young Band Director Award		Judy Wishloff Elkhorn Band Director of the Year –presented by Rob Speers
		Val Shermann Vondis Miller Legacy Award –presented by Rob Speers
		Jeff Bryant Keith Mann Young Band Director Award –presented by Michael Mann

ABA 5-Question Survey

Please take part in our 5 Questions to keep us connected to your musical wants at Music Conference Alberta 2015. We are always aiming to meet the needs of our membership.

Alberta Honour Band 2014 at MCA

This was a very successful performance with acclaimed Canadian conductor and performer Jonathan Dagenais. With the Winspear Centre as the venue and a diverse program, 500 high school students from across Alberta were fortunate to participate in this yearly ensemble.

If you are interested in encouraging your students to participate in next year’s ensemble, you can learn more on the ABA website.

Alberta Junior Honour Bands (North & South)

More »

• Southern Alberta Junior Honour Band
  February 11 – 13, 2015 | Calgary, Alberta
  Guest Conductor: David Grimstead
  Schedule | Recommendation Form
• Northern Alberta Junior Honour Band
  February 25 – 27, 2015 | Edmonton, Alberta
  Guest Conductor: Brent Pierce
  Schedule | Recommendation Form

There are two Alberta Junior Honour Bands — north and south. Held in conjunction with respective teachers’ conventions in Edmonton and Calgary, the honour bands provide an advanced, auditioned performance experience for Alberta’s junior high school students. Top music educators in the province lead the students through three days of fun and intensive rehearsals.

The deadline for recommendations has been extended to Friday, January 9, 2015.

ABA Provincial Festival of Bands

May 11–22, 2015 | Red Deer, AB

With the 2015 Festival date approaching in the new year, the ABA would like to encourage all interested band directors to send in your festival applications at your earliest convenience. As of mid-November 2014, our FOB registrations are currently half full. Once the Festival reaches capacity we will start a waiting list just like last year.

All of these details are provided at the ABA website. Early Bird Festival Fee before January 23rd, 2015.

We look forward to seeing and hearing your ensembles perform!

Calling all Community Bands!

The ABA continues to work towards compiling a list of active community bands in Alberta. We are very interested in learning how the ABA can partner and support your efforts in these programs. If you have or know of a Community Band in your area, please send a quick e-mail with contact information to board member Bob Bailey (bbailey@brsd.ab.ca).

We look forward to establishing a closer working relationship with the vibrant Community Band movement in our province!

ABA Board Members 2014-2015

[l to r]: Kyle Swenson [VP III]; Darwin Krips [President]; Kirk Wassmer [Director]; Ken Rogers [Past Pres.]; Karri Anderson [Director]; Tricia Howe [VP II]; Neil Corlett [Managing Director]; Angela Schroeder [VP I]; Lindsey Coulter [Director]; Brian Thorlacius [Director]; Bob Bailey [VP IV]

Stay Connected

The best ways to stay connected with the ABA are: