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Maine Music Educators Association
District III
Report to the MMEA Exec Board
June 22, 2007
District III has finished our busy festival season, and we are looking forward to the end of the school year.
Our Jazz Honors Festival, on March 30 and 31st was a great success, thanks to Mike Scarponi and Teresa Beaudoin for hosting.
Our two bands directed by Terry White and Brian Nadeau sounded great and the jazz chorus directed by Michelle Snow was super.
The Junior High Honors Festival hosted by Pat Webber, Alyssa Williamson, Kim Murphy and Nancy Laite of Camden was held April
27th and 28th. The honors band and chorus performed in Strom Theatre to a packed house and a very enthusiastic audience.
The band, conducted by Brad Ciechomski and the chorus conducted by Linda Blanchard, were superb.
Winding down the year, our annual Spring Meeting on May 1st, was very ably hosted by Heidi Anderson and Shari Tarleton.
The District III Music Educator of the Year award was presented to Kim Murphy. for her outstanding work as a music educator
in our district. The usual business of the district was conducted in preparation for the next school year. David Connerty-Marin
from the DOE, was the guest speaker and gave us a very informative talk on school consolidation and how it may effect us as
music educators. Following David’s presentation, changes to the Jazz Honors Festival were discussed and business finished
at 8:45.
District III ended the school year in great financial shape and next years’ calendar is all set to go.
Respectfully submitted
Roger Whitney, chair
83 Federal Street, Wiscasset, Maine, 04578
207-586-5803 (Home) 207-882-7767 (School)
E-Mail: rwhitney@wiscasset.k12.me.us
Maine Music Education Association
Jazz Activities
June 2007 Executive Board Report
The May meeting of jazz activities convened at 9am on May
19th at USM. The following is an informal “minutes” of
that meeting, and where appropriate, an update regarding
work that has been completed in the interim.
• recognition of 2006-2007 efforts of so many educators in
this great State where jazz is alive and well!
• Effective July 1, 2007 all Policies and Rules posted on
web and in handbook will be fixed until the following July
1.
• Appendices F-I for handbook (the jazz stuff!) have been
revised and will be posted and in the handbook
• All-State Jazz Audition materials are now posted!
• ASJ Recordings will be posted by August 15
2007-2008 Dates and Sites
o All State Jazz Auditions: Date -- October 12, 2007
o Host : Brady Harris, Bangor
o Coordinator : Craig Skeffington
o All State Jazz Festival: Date -- January 3-5, 2008
o Site/Host -- Scarborough
o HS Instrumental (North) Date -- March 14-15, 2008
o Site/Host -- Stearns HS
o MS Instrumental (South) Date -- March 22, 2008
o Site/Host -- Westbrook
o Vocal Festival (Central) Date -- March 29, 2008
o Site/Host – Lawrence
• Instrumental Jazz Chair 2006-2008: Shianne Wheeler
• Vocal Jazz Chair 2007-2009: C. Brent LaCasce
All-State Jazz Ensemble Managers
• Honors Jazz Band – Craig Skeffington
• Jazz Band – Kyle Smith
• Jazz Combo – Larry Williams
• Honors Jazz Choir – Deb Large
Motion: Eliminate 1st, 2nd and 3rd place from all state
jazz festivals and award plaques with Gold, Silver, and
Bronze medal designations only. MOTION FAILED
Motion : Middle School Combos will not be allowed to
perform
at the State Festival unless there is a separate division
and awards. MOTION PASSED
Motion: Jazz Choirs may include adult accompanists at the
State festival, but will not be eligible for Outstanding
Rhythm Section Award. MOTION PASSED
• There was significant discussion regarding judge
selection and preparation at the state vocal festival. I
have respectfully taken the constructive criticism and
will work to correct mistakes that were made by
omission/assumption and will continue to strive to give
our students the best assessments possible at our state
jazz festivals.
• I was also given the ok to request monies from MMEA for
GOLD plaques for all ensembles that achieve a I rating at
state jazz festivals. This appears to be a done deal, and
will be another way to recognize high achievement in
musical performance other than a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place
designation. I will personally make the Gold plaque awards
happen in 2007-2008.
Chris Humphrey
VP for Jazz Activities, MMEA
humphrey@cheverus.org
http://www.chrishumphrey.net
http://www.myspace.com/jazzsynger
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